Op-ed: More than 5 million unemployed in Spain

There are now more than 5 million unemployed workers in Spain, although the EPA estimates the figure to be 4,978,300. Without a doubt, the adjustment of the parameters that produce figures for the population at large from a sample have negatively impacted employment figures, which is an inconvenient development for the PSOE given November 20 elections so close.

The Government exaggerated the horrendous Q3 public sector employment figures, but the numbers from the INE show a small increase in government jobs from last quarter to now and also year-to-year. We are dealing with a desperate electoral sleight of hand, because the Minister of Labor referred specifically to the local and autonomous administrations, whereas after 22-M it lost representation from the PSOE.

This is a weak argument, because just the slimming down of the public sector is one of the factors that could galvanize our economy and heal our accounts. The EPA has vouched for two Spains: one in the North with 16% unemployment and another in the South with 27% unemployment due to 30% rates in Andalusia.

Statistics hammer in time and time again that the socialist government's labor reforms have been ineffectual and unable to eradicate the ills of our labor market. Factors for the decline are myriad. The financial crisis, the credit crunch, price wars within the tourism and hotel sector, and households' decreasing capacity to spend and save have all influenced reductions in the number of self-employed workers and devastated employment in the services sector, including domestic services.

Addressing unemployment will be incoming government's greatest challenges. It ought to promote labor reform measures or the rest of its efforts will be in vain.