In the second quarter of 2014, the number of unemployed persons fell 5.23 percent on quarter to 5.623 million. Year-on-year, unemployment went down 7.02 percent (-424,500 persons).
Employment rose 2.37 percent over the previous period to 17.35 million, the highest increase since the second quarter of 2005. Compared with a year earlier, employment grew for the first time in six years by 1.12 percent (+192,400 persons).
Employment rose for both private and public sectors (+393,500 and +8,900, respectively). The services sector added 378.7 thousand new jobs; the industrial sector created more 56.7 thousand jobs and construction added 36.9 thousand. In contrast, agriculture lost 69.8 thousand jobs.
By region, employment increased in Illes Balears (+83,300 persons), Catalonia (+79,300), Valencia (52,800) and Community Madrid (52,400), from the previous quarter. In contrast, the top decreases were in Catalonia (69,700 less), Comunidad de Madrid (45,200) and Valencia (42,300).