Campo unemployment edges close to 40,000, echoing national trends

The number of unemployed people in the Campo de Gibraltar rose to 39,453 in October, up 1,029 compared to the preceding month and the highest figure since April 2014.

Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the number of registered unemployed in the Campo has risen by 7,140.

The two worst-hit cities in the Campo are La Linea and Algeciras.

In La Linea, there are currently 10,854 people registered as out of work, while the figure for Algeciras is 17,206.

The Campo figures were echoed across Spain, which yesterday reported a nationwide 1.31% rise in unemployed people in October from the previous month as fresh restrictions to contain a second wave of coronavirus infections hobbled the job market.

Registered job seekers increased by 49,558 from September, leaving 3.83 million people out of work, Labour Ministry data showed.

Some 600,000 people are being supported by a government furlough scheme, preventing a steeper rise in jobless figures.

"This indicates the important challenges we have as a country to improve access to employment," Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz tweeted.

Hit harder than most by the pandemic, Spain imposed a tough lockdown from March to June, triggering Europe's worst economic crash. Third-quarter GDP data released last week showed the economy was still 8.7% smaller than a year ago.

Despite the uptick in unemployment, Spain added 113,974 jobs in October, marking the sixth straight month of job creation, data from the Social Security ministry showed.

Increased hiring in the public sector drove the job creation, while some 85,000 jobs in the hospitality sector were wiped out.

In total, more than half the jobs destroyed during the pandemic's April peak have now been recovered but many still struggle to find work.