The number of employed persons decreased by 322 300 in the first quarter of 2013, standing at 16.63 million. The quarterly variation rate of employment stood at -1.9 percent.
By sex, the unemployed population increased by 130 thousand men and 107 thousand women. The male unemployment rate increased to 26.78 percent, whilst the female rate increased 1.06 points, and stood at 27.61 percent. The composition of unemployment stands unchanged since 2008, with relatively little distance between male and female rates, and more men unemployed than women.
The economically active population fell by 85 thousand persons in the first quarter of 2013, standing at 22.84 million persons. In annual terms, the number of economically active persons decreased by 235 thousand persons. The decrease in the number of economically active persons in the last quarter of 2012 was steep and accentuates the downward trend observed since 2008.