The latest unemployment figures for April in the Balearic Islands show a total of 31,011 people unemployed. This figure represents 26% fewer unemployed than in the same month of 2022, with a total of 10,904 fewer unemployed people

The Balearic Islands registered a total of 31,011 unemployed in the month of April, according to the latest data published on Thursday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.

This figure represents 10,904 fewer unemployed than in the same period last year. This is 26.01% fewer unemployed than in 2022.

In a comparison with the previous month, March 2023, the number of unemployed continues to fall, being 8.06% lower than in that month, with 2,720 fewer unemployed in April.

As far as Social Security is concerned, it gained 34,009 employees in April in the Balearic Islands, 6.56% more than a year ago. In total, 552,291 people were registered in April.

The total figures for Spain show that in April the Social Security system added 238,436 registered workers. This is a record figure for the month of April and represents the second best record in the whole series. Unemployment fell by 73,890 to 2.78 million. Easter and the start of the summer season have led to these rises in employment and Social Security which have not been seen since 2008.

Valuations

The Federació de la Petita i Mitjana Empresa de Mallorca (PIMEM) has a positive view of the employment figures, but predicts a very problematic high season due to a lack of manpower.

According to a press release, the figures are “very good” and it highlights “the repetition of this good news over the last few months”. However, it emphasises the problem of finding workers this season and assures that there will be many companies that will not be able to complete their workforces and will have serious difficulties in covering certain absences. For PIMEM, “the situation could lead to many companies simply not being able to provide their services or deliver their products due to a lack of staff, which is a serious problem at the most important time of the season. We are talking about sectors and companies that put a year’s profit and loss account at stake in these months,” warns the Federation. PIMEM recalls that this situation was already experienced in 2022 but now in 2023 “is accentuated and has no signs of changing for the time being”.

Finally, the employers’ association adds that, in addition to the difficulty of the lack of labour, there are two other problems “that directly and significantly affect companies, regardless of their size”: the cost of housing for workers and specialised training to fill certain jobs.