Salgado : "Creation of 100'000 new jobs in 2011"

 

Spain's Minister for the Economy, Elena Salgado, commented yesterday how she was optimistic that 100,000 new jobs would be created during the course of 2011.

Unemployment figures released for December revealed how approximately 10,000 people had already ben successful in finding employment. Speaking on Spanish state television, Salgado said she was optimistic that this positive trend would continue throughout 2011.

The Minister commented how "recovery from the economic crisis has started," but went on to say how the first half of 2011 would only see a gradual decline in unemployment numbers.

"Stable employment will appear in the second half of 2011," she continued, adding that "this trend will accelerate in 2012."

Salgado attributes this to the government's recent labor reforms, which make it easier for companies to release staff when economic conditions dictate that they are over staffed. Thus the government hopes that the reforms will encourage companies to employ more workers in the future, which has intensified the opposition of the trade unions.

Unemployment in Spain had now reached 4.1 million - 20 %.