Biggest ever drop in unemployment in April

A late Easter this year, combined with the start of the main tourist season, caused a big rise in the number of jobs in the hotel, catering and tourism sectors.

Adjusting for seasonal differences and the change in Easter, the monthly fall was 70,777.

On a regional level, in Andalucía, the number of registered unemployed fell by almost 34,000 people in April, leaving the total at 852,182.

Within Malaga and the Costa del Sol, there were 7,452 registered unemployed fewer, a drop of 4.52 per cent on the previous month, bringing the total unemployed to 157,582. Most of this fall was in the services and tourism sectors.

The monthly figures released this week differ from the government statistics institutes quarterly active population survey (EPA). The employment ministry data is based on figures from the ministrys employment offices, while the EPA data, used by the EU, is based on a national questionnaire. Typically the quarterly EPA survey shows higher unemployment levels and its April data will be released in July.