Spain's unemployment up 7% in second quarter

Unemployment in Spain rose 7 percent in the second quarter as 32,800 people lost their jobs during the three-month period, the government said Friday.

The number of people out of work has now reached 4.645 million, accounting for 20.09 percent of the active population, according to government data.

The number of unemployed also has risen because the job market has not been capable enough to absorb newcomers, such as college graduates.

There are now 1.308 million families in Spain that have at least one member out of work, an increase of 9,800 in the past six months.

Women have been hit worse by unemployment than men. While male unemployment dropped by 15,700, 48,500 women lost their jobs in the past three months, the government said.

The agriculture sector suffered the most job losses but unemployment also fell in the construction, service and manufacturing sectors, the data showed.

Source: Xinhua