It sounds incredible but Spain has 4.3 million people without a job. The "acting" government of Prime Minister Rajoy was quick to point out today that the unemployment rate had fallen to a seven year low, but I would be keeping the champagne on ice if I was the Spanish government because the figure is still far too high.
I was shocked recently by a report which stated that almost ten per cent of the Balearic population live in poverty. If you scratch the surface in Spain you discover that the country still has some major economic problems despite the fantastic lifestyle. For many, myself included, Spain is a paradise, especially the Balearics. But there is still real hardship in this country.
It must be taken into account that the jobless rate is higher at this time of the year because it is the end of the season but the Rajoy government, when it is finally sworn in, needs to take urgent action. Tackling the massive rate of unemployment needs to be one of its first prorities. In the Balearics one way of solving the unemployment problem would be working to resolve the problem of the ever shorter summer season. If the season lasted for 12 months rather than just five, then the island would take a major step forward in dealing with the unemployment problem. If only the government reduced landing fees and gave the tourist industry tax breaks for opening during the winter, there would be far fewer people claiming benefit.