PALMA
THE SOIB Balearic employment office yesterday announced that there are an unprecedented 147'000 people looking for work.
The Bulletin has been reporting on the discrepancies between the number of registered unemployed and the percentage of the active population which are out of work for the past couple of weeks.
Officially, there were 92'000 people out of work at the end of last month with the local government claiming that the rate of unemployment is beginning to slow down.
But, using the active population figures, the unions have been warning the government for months that a more accurate figure is around 125'000.
So, even the unions are going to be shocked by the latest figures which indicated that more than one in ten people, are out of work and, according to the latest SOIB reports, one in four of the unemployed are foreigners.
The end of the holiday season and the rapid closure of hotels and resorts is what has pushed up the figures so drastically and sharply.
Last month, 5'350 more people (3.77 percent) were looking for work than during November of last year and just over 74'000 of the total number of job seekers are women and aged over 45.
37 '500 of those registered with the local job centres are foreign, 2.5 percent more than last year and 13'999 are European Union citizens with the remaining 23'510 non community residents.
All sectors of industry and business have noticed the increase in people looking for work apart from the construction industry where demand for work has fallen by over six percent because of the sector's precarious situation.
Apparently, would be construction workers have decided to cut their loses and are looking for work elsewhere such as in the hostelry and service sectors or even on the farms.
But, with the tourist industry all but closed for the winter, the 53, 089 people hunting for a job in the hostelry and services sectors are facing a great deal of competition.