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Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero speaking to the media last month. AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici/PA

Spain's unemployment at eurozone high with 95,000 more out of work

Today’s figures from Spain’s Labour Department could stoke fears over the Spanish economy.

THE NUMBER of people filing for unemployment benefits in Spain shot up by nearly 100,000 in September, a surprisingly big increase even in a month that tends to be bad for workers as vacation season contracts expire.

Tuesday’s figures from the Labour Department are likely to stoke renewed worries over the Spanish economy at a time the government is trying to appease investors fretting over its strategy to deal with hefty borrowings.

The department blamed the anemic state of Spain’s economy and the effect of austerity measures on the job market for the bigger than usual increase in September claims. It added that government’s forecast that 2011 would end with net job creation, albeit small, will probably be wrong.

The official forecast is for GDP growth of 1.3 per cent for 2011, but this figure is now largely being treated with scepticism.

‘Disturbing’ increase

The department acknowledged the jobless claims increase was disturbing, as it was nearly twice as big as the increase posted in September 2010.

Deputy Labour Minister Mari Luz Rodriguez said that in recent weeks the ministry had seen daily increases of 10,000 in claims for jobless benefits, and called the numbers “tough and negative.”

The Labour Department says the increase of 95,817 raises the total to 4,226,744. That’s an increase of 2.32 per cent from August. It was also the biggest jump for a September since the department’s current accounting system was launched in 1996.

Spain’s overall jobless rate is released separately and quarterly and stands at just under 21 per cent, a eurozone high.

The governing Socialists have called general elections for 20 November but polls suggest they will be defeated by the conservative opposition Popular Party, which might even win an absolute majority in Parliament.

Government cost-cutting measures are meeting with resistance, most lately among school teachers.

Madrid-area secondary school teachers — at schools for kids ranging in 12 to 18 — went on strike today for the fourth time since the school year began last month to protest job cuts ordered by the conservative regional government.

In Spain, education is run at the regional level, and Madrid and others run by the Popular Party, are having teachers spend more hours in the classroom this year. That means less hiring of stand-by teachers who do not have civil servant status of full-blown teachers.

Teachers unions say students are the ones who come out losing most: smaller teaching staffs mean fewer extracurricular activities and tutoring sessions and the like. Another stoppage was scheduled for today, then again on 20 October.

The labour union UGT said about 70 per cent of the Madrid area’s roughly 20,000 secondary schools honoured today’s strike.

Read: Greece’s €8bn lifeline put on hold – but ministers still rule out default >

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8 Comments
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    Mute Eoin Molloy
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:55 PM

    I work in a fast food restaurant. I get deducted for my uniform and for food (that I dont’t eat) every week. These deductions are mandatory. After tax and deductions, I make 7.29 per hour. So a 40 hour week is 291.60. Hardly enough to keep up with rent/car costs etc.

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    Mute bandido
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:31 PM

    How they justify deductions for food you don’t eat?
    Does it work on the assumption that it is there so you “could” eat it?

    82
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    Mute Alan Dunne
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    May 23rd 2014, 9:42 PM

    Just get smart and rob the till it ‘s easy to do!

    34
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    Mute Con O'sullivan
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:06 PM

    A McStrike

    164
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    Mute no good names
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:16 PM

    @con haha classic

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    Mute Michael Cunningham
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    May 23rd 2014, 8:45 PM

    I think people will pay a little more if they know the workers are paid better.

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    Mute Michael Cunningham
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    May 23rd 2014, 8:49 PM

    But it’s cheeky to think that cost of pay increase should be passed onto the customer when millions in profits are made worldwide.

    46
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    Mute Dolph
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:08 PM

    Fair play, this needs to happen in Ireland too, lots of employers taking the piss.

    163
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    Mute Sargon
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:17 PM

    But you are forgetting that in Ireland, customer service is uselessand many of them can barely speak English

    66
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    Mute Pierce2020
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:20 PM

    or indeed spell “uselessand”

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    Mute Richard boyle
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:21 PM

    Or punctuate

    91
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    Mute Bobby
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:34 PM

    Average wage paid by McDonalds in Ireland is €13.05/ $17.80. Average salary for Managers in McDonalds Ireland earn up to €40k. That’s why you pay from 30% more for food in McDonalds.

    68
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    Mute Sargon
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:39 PM

    Is uselessand not a word?? Wow, thanks for correcting me guys. Do you mean punctuation like full stops at the end of sentences?

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    Mute Dan Harrington
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:51 PM

    @Bobby where did you get those figures from? Bein a long standin McWorker myself, I can tell you that they are way, way off.
    Thats not to say the pay isn’t reasonable, but quite frankly, your talkin s###e.

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    Mute Thomas Bowen
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:56 PM

    Was 8.65 last time I checked

    33
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    Mute Bobby
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    May 23rd 2014, 8:00 PM

    Nope, look it up you will find in online. My nephew works in a McDonalds in North Dublin after college, he started off on €10 an hour. People that work in that restaurant 3 years plus are on €13 plus an hour. They say McDonalds is the 5th best employer in Ireland.

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    Mute Keith Murray
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    May 24th 2014, 11:15 AM

    Mcshite that is!!

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    Mute Paddy Mac
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:23 PM

    They’re lovin it!

    112
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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:38 PM

    What are their profits?

    14
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    Mute Stephen Murphy
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:42 PM
    5
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    Mute Peter Martin
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:21 PM

    Pub grub is the answer. For 6 euros you can have roast beef gravy mashed potatoes roast potatoes carrots etc. … ie a real dinner. What you get in Mc Donalds for the same money is a carton of chips a coke and an icecream thingy…..ie crap food. Yet Mc Donalds are always full while the pub is empty. Support your nearest pub and vote independents ok!!!

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    Mute anthony mcloughlin
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:25 PM

    What has that got to do with McDonald’s workers wages ?

    63
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    Mute Neal Ireland
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:31 PM

    Anthony the idea is to not support a sector that treats it’s workers like that.

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    Mute Bobby
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:38 PM

    Wait until Wetherspoons open in Ireland. I had a 10oz Steak with chips, mushroom, onions, tomato, peas and a pint of beer for £6.35 and that’s in London. Even cheaper outside of London.

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    Mute Jason Bourne
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:39 PM

    It will be dounle that when they come to Ireland.

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    Mute mjhint
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:48 PM

    Bobby your welcome to it. I deliver to these restaurants & I will not eat their bland sh#t food. As for the pub grub not much better. If you knew what you’re eating you wouldn’t pay. Frozen process food of the quality dished out by McDonald’s.

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    Mute PicassoRepublic
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    May 23rd 2014, 8:03 PM

    Bobby – some dream of a uniform high street with a Boots Chemist, TK Maxx, Vodafone, Clintons Cards, Tesco Express, Carphone Warehouse, Barretts Shoes and now a Wetherspoons.

    Am I one of the few who would pay just a little more to reverse this country becoming a little Britland?

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    Mute Katie Collins
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    May 23rd 2014, 8:10 PM

    Yeah ‘food’ that gives you palpitations and dizziness after a burger from the Euro saver menu…

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    Mute Bobby
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    May 23rd 2014, 9:33 PM

    When it comes to having a McDonalds, B.K or a steak and chips with a beer for £6.35 I know which one id prefer.

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    Mute Robert Zombies
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:09 PM

    €18 muted in Switzerland last week , $15 in the states, it may soon be not worth your while being stressed out and busting yer balls in a responsible job for a few a few quid more per month after tax.

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    Mute ChopperMc
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:05 PM

    Yea and how many cheeseburgers do they all get for free??? Can’t have it both ways

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    Mute Joanna
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:08 PM

    They don’t. If I recall its only a 10% discount for staff. So like…20c off a cheeseburger or something.

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    Mute Stink Eye
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:11 PM

    What a ridiculous comment. I’m sure they all want free cheese burgers in place of low wages?

    I love how McDonalds have control over everything in franchises, from design, menu, price of product, management structure, staff training procedures, customer service procedures but they don’t have control over minimum wage payments.

    Make it a condition of franchising.

    Also their margins are so high the talk of increasing the wage meaning an increase in prices is just bullshit.

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    Mute Neal Ireland
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:11 PM

    Yeah, they’re laughing all the way to the cheeseburger bank.

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    Mute Fozz
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:20 PM

    “McDonald’s said any move to raise entry-level pay would raise overall costs and lead to higher menu prices”
    You can to the end of that sentence:
    “in order to maintain profit levels”.

    The mentality of a corp that makes money had over fist and yet is unable to share any of that with those who toil for those profits is pure greed.

    71
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    Mute Pierce2020
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:21 PM

    They give you a certain amount per hour worked

    10
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    Mute Emmet Purcell
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    May 23rd 2014, 11:46 PM

    None of the protestors jobs will exist in a few decades’ time, maybe less, due to the inevitability of full automated services. Some Chili’s and Applebee’s restaurants in the US now feature tablets for customers to use rather than waiters.

    The protestors haven’t a hope of having their demands met because they are easily replaceable (I worked minimum wage for years and I was too) and if anything, these types of protests will only speed up the path towards automation.

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    Mute Niall Condren
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    May 23rd 2014, 8:36 PM

    They should be protesting about the poison they’re selling everyone

    21
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    Mute Alan Seag
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    May 24th 2014, 4:40 AM

    Why? Its common knowledge that the ”food” they sell is questionable but no one is forced to consume it

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    Mute Niall Condren
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    May 24th 2014, 8:48 AM

    Well it’s worse than questionable and i never said anyone’s forced to do anything. Still, they target kids with their advertising and then serve them GMO burgers and a silicone nuggets.

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    Mute Frank
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    May 23rd 2014, 6:29 PM
    9
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    Mute Jason Bourne
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    May 23rd 2014, 7:40 PM

    The land of the free, just as long as you dont protest.

    26
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    Mute Robert Kastner
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    May 23rd 2014, 11:44 PM

    If fast food starts paying $15 dollars an hour I might look for work there. I have a degree and experience. Where are these fast food workers going to go now when people with more education and experience take over their jobs.
    Then when they go to $15 per hour how much do you think the food prices will rise?
    Now these people protesting won’t have a job and wont be able to eat out at fast food.
    Also right now fast food costs are already so close to full service sit down.
    So if I’m going to be paying that price I’d rather sit down and be served.
    Go back to school or stay in school so you can get a real job.

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    Mute md
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    May 24th 2014, 3:52 AM

    I thought most people that works at McD are usually young teens that works part time while in college. If they start at $15 they will start calling that their career.

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    Mute raymond connolly
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    May 24th 2014, 1:11 AM

    Want fries with that?

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    Mute roryboyle
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    May 24th 2014, 10:10 AM

    If they do not want to work for that money they can teach astrophysics at Harvard.

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