The number of unemployed people registered at the Public Service of State Employment Office (SEPE) of Melilla, at the end of August, stands at 7,531. It is 107 people less than the previous month (-1.4%) and 905 unemployed less than a year ago (-10.73%).
The Provincial Director of the SEPE, Jorge Vera, who appeared before the media this lunchtime, to give an account of these figures, has pointed out that analyzing the data a year ago, in August 2024, unemployment in Melilla rose by more than 300 people. “This month, a year later, it fell by 107 people and only Melilla along with five other autonomous communities,” he said.
Something, he added, happens taking into account that the hiring of the Employment Plans has already ended, so the fall in unemployment is not attributable to this reason.
“This means that the public investment that the State is making in terms of active policies is being decisive,” he said and referred not only to the Employment Plans, but “for a myriad of programs that we have in active policies such as those that are working now, OPEA programs, experiential programs, integral projects, training…”.
“They are managing to give some impetus to the Melilla labour market and as a result it has the stimulation of recruitment”, he said, while recalling that Social Security affiliation data are record in Melilla this month, again, and he has shown his desire to follow this path of work.
A trend of reduction in unemployment that occurs for the sixth consecutive month and that means that Melilla has 2,797 unemployed less than in June 2018 when the PP ruled.
Vera, has broken down the data of the fall in unemployment by sector, so the Services sector is the one in which the number of claimants has been reduced the most with 77 people less, followed by the Construction sector where the reduction has been 21 people. In No Previous Job, unemployment fell by 9 people, while in Agriculture it fell by 1 unemployed. Industry, on the other hand, is the only sector where the number of job seekers increases, in one person.
Regarding the data of affiliation to Social Security, Vera has highlighted that, one more month, the data of the historical series is improved, reaching the figure of 25,491, which implies an increase of 148 affiliates (0.58%) this month and of 915 affiliates (3.72%) compared to last year. Specifically, in the General System there are 21,119 members, 4,294 members in the Autonomous System; and 78 members in the Sea System.
As for the contracts, the head of the SEPE in Melilla has reported that a total of 1,261 have been signed during the past month, of which 516 have been indefinite, which means 40.9% of them. Vera recalled that, before the labor reform approved by this government, the percentage of indefinite contracts accounted for 8% of the total.
In terms of registered unemployment, according to sex, women with 5,004 unemployed account for 66.5% of the total, compared to the 2,527 unemployed men in our city, which account for 33.5%. And, as far as minors under the age of 25 are concerned, there are 796 unemployed in Melilla.
With regard to unemployment benefits, in the autonomous city there are 2,063 beneficiaries either of contributory benefit (1,227 beneficiaries), Subsidy (792 beneficiaries) or Active Insertion Income (44 beneficiaries) and the average amount received per beneficiary is 942.8 euros per month.
National data
The head of the Provincial Directorate of the SEPE has also echoed national data, according to which at the end of August, unemployment increased by 21,905 people (0.91%) compared to the previous month. The total registered unemployment stood at 2,426,511 persons. This is the lowest level since August 2007.
In year-on-year terms, unemployment has fallen by 145,610 people (-5.66%). There has also been a drop in seasonally adjusted terms of 6,075 people.
By economic sectors, the registered unemployment fell compared to July in the Agriculture sector by 1,849 people (-2.36%) and also among the Unemployed group by 3,458 people (-1.53%).
It rises in Construction 2,745 (1.55%), Industry 2,775 (1.49%) and Services 21,692 (1.25%).
In terms of unemployment by sex and age, female unemployment increased by 11,748 women (0.80%) compared to July and stood at 1,471,731. The male is 954,780, rising by 10,157 people (1.08%). Compared to August 2024, male unemployment fell by 66,683 (-6.53%) and female unemployment fell by 78,927 (-5.09%). Unemployment among young people under the age of 25 rose in August by 3,485 people (2.12%) compared to the previous month.
Vera has stressed that unemployment has fallen in five communities and autonomous cities, including Melilla, and that the total number of contracts registered during the month of August has been 1,039,962. Of this total, 385,856 employment contracts are indefinite and account for 37.10%.