Castilla y León ended 2023 with a 7.8 percent increase in the number of unemployed, with 7,700 more unemployed than in the fourth quarter of 2022, bringing the number of unemployed to 106,000. This increase contrasts with the national figure, which fell by 6.4 percent, with 193,400 fewer people unemployed to 2.8 million, according to Active Population Survey (EPA) data published today by the INE and collected by the Ical Agency .
Castilla y León is one of the three autonomies that record an increase in unemployment in annual parameters in 2023, along with the Canary Islands, which increases by 16.1 percent, and the Balearic Islands, which increases by 6.7 percent. With these figures, the unemployment rate in the Community was 9.5 percent at the end of 2023, 2.2 points lower than the 11.7 percent in Spain and seven tenths higher than the rate recorded by the Autonomous Authority a year ago, which was 8.8 percent . In the Community, the female unemployment rate is 11.6 percent, while the male unemployment rate is 7.68 percent.
However, quarter-on-quarter, the Community reported a moderate decrease in unemployment of 0.5 percent, with 600 fewer unemployed than in the period between July and September, giving Castilla y León a chain of four quarter-on-quarter declines. At the same time, unemployment in Spain rose by 0.86 percent and there were 24,600 fewer unemployed people.
The largest absolute year-on-year declines in unemployment in the fourth quarter were in Madrid (54,200 people) and Andalusia (40,500). Relatively speaking, the municipalities with the greatest decline are Cantabria (26.45 percent) and the Basque Country (25.1).
Likewise, the Basque Country (6.3), Cantabria (7.48 percent) and Aragon (7.85) have the lowest unemployment rates in this quarter. In the opposite extreme case, Andalusia (17.6 percent), Extremadura (16.9) and the Canary Islands (16.1) record the highest values.
As for employment, at the end of the fourth quarter, in Castile and León, 9,500 people disappeared year-on-year and 4,400 quarter-on-quarter, putting the total slightly above one million employed (1,009 million), the seventh municipality with the highest number.
In this case, the number of employed people in Spain was 21.24 million people, 19,000 fewer than in the third quarter of 2023 (0.09 percent below), but 783,000 more than a year ago (3.83 percent above).
In a quarterly comparison, the largest increases in occupancy were recorded in Madrid (67,600) and the Basque Country (22,200); The largest declines occurred in the Balearic Islands (94,400) and the Valencian Community (20,500). Last year, almost all municipalities increased their employment, with the exception of Castilla y León (0.43 percent less, with 4,400 people) and La Rioja (1.85 percent less, equivalent to 2,700 people). The strongest increases were in Catalonia (197,600 more employed people and an increase of 5.6 percent), Madrid (160,500, with an increase of 5.03 percent) and Andalusia (130,800 more employed people and an increase of four percent).
10,100 additional assets
In terms of wealth, Castilla y León increased by 3,400 last year, 0.3 percent more, to 1.11 million. In Spain, with 24 million assets, the increase was 589,600 (2.51 percent). Compared to the last quarter, Castilla y León lost 10,100 active workers, 0.9 percent, while Spain fell by 0.18 percent (43,600).
The employment rate in Castile and León was 54.59 percent (58.99 in Spain), the fourth lowest in the country, behind only Asturias (50.84 percent) and Galicia (53.19 percent). The municipalities with the highest occupancy were Madrid (63.6 percent), Catalonia (61.9) and the Balearic Islands (61 percent).
If you look at the development by province, the unemployment rate in Soria falls from 7.87 to 5.36 percent; in Avila the proportion increases from 12 to 11.3 percent; and in Palencia, which drops from 8.5 to 6.9). On the other hand, it recorded an increase in the rest, reaching 15.4 percent in Zamora (the highest value), 10.5 percent in Salamanca, 10.3 percent in León, 8.6 percent in Valladolid, 8.41 percent in Burgos and 8 .01 percent in Segovia.
As for unemployment, last year in León it increased by 29.2 percent, in line with the evolution of the unemployment rate, adding 4,500 more and reaching a total of 19,900 unemployed. Segovia follows with 14.5 percent more and 800 more with a total of 6,300 unemployed; Zamora with 13.3 percent more (1,400 more last year, up to 11,900); Burgos with 13.1 percent (1,700 more, up to 14,600 unemployed); and Valladolid with a 12.5 percent increase in unemployment (2,400 more and 21,500 total). Likewise, it remained stable in Salamanca, with a total of 15,900 unemployed, and fell by 28.5 percent in Soria (1,000 fewer unemployed to 2,500), 19 percent in Palencia (1,200 fewer unemployed and a total of 5,100) and in Ávila, where it fell by 9.9 Percent (that's 900 less, for a total of 8,200).
The number of active people, in turn, rose by 5.2 percent to 46,200 in Soria and in the provinces of Segovia, Zamora and Valladolid with similar percentages of 3.8, 3.6 and 3.1 percent respectively. The number rose to 78,500 active workers in Segovia, 77,500 in Zamora and 250,000 in Valladolid. This parameter also increases in Palencia by 0.13 percent with a total of 74,000 active people.
On the other hand, Ávila led the decline, down 5.1 percent to 72,300. This is followed by León with 2.8 percent less and a total of 192,900 active people and Salamanca with 1.4 percent less, i.e. up to 150,500. Finally, Burgos closes with the most moderate decline of 0.11 percent, allowing it to close 2023 with 174,100 active people.