SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 3 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands has emphasised that 2024 concluded on the islands with a record level of employment and the lowest number of unemployed individuals in the past 16 years, as stated by the regional Executive in a press release.
In this context, the Deputy Minister of Employment, Isabel León, highlighted that the year closed with 156,344 people out of work, “a figure not seen since February 2008, placing the CCAA below the threshold of 160,000 unemployed.”
In comparison to December 2023, the Archipelago recorded 11,501 more individuals in employment than the previous year (-6.85%), which the regional official pointed out is “the best outcome since the peak of the coronavirus crisis and serves as motivation to continue implementing policies that foster the growth of our local job market.”
Over the course of the year, unemployment decreased across all economic sectors, with Agriculture leading the reduction at 24.95%, translating to 844 individuals finding employment in this area, followed by Hospitality, which saw a decrease of 5.61%, equating to 1,377 fewer people.
Furthermore, in terms of monthly trends, León explained that “unemployment fell in December by 2,541 individuals compared to the previous month (-1.60%), while the number of unemployed persons searching for work for between one and two years declined by 596 individuals (-0.82%).”
When referencing the situation from a year prior, unemployment at the end of December saw reductions across all islands. La Gomera experienced the most significant percentage decrease at 20.76%, equating to 269 fewer unemployed individuals, followed by Lanzarote (-8.28%), Fuerteventura (-7.34%), Gran Canaria (-7.29%), Tenerife (-6.37%), El Hierro (-4.83%), and La Palma (-2.47%). In terms of absolute numbers, Gran Canaria and Tenerife witnessed decreases of 5,312 and 4,600 individuals, respectively.
With regards to hiring, the autonomous community concluded the year with 3,733 additional contracts (6.92%) compared to the figures recorded in December 2023. From the contracts formalised last year, 21,970 were permanent (38.09%).
Meanwhile, the director of the Canary Islands Employment Service (SCE), María Teresa Ortega, reaffirmed that “the overall results are favourable concerning both unemployment levels and job creation.”
She also underscored the significance that employment training programmes will have this year, alongside the need to bridge the gap between “the demands of the labour market and the training received by individuals currently in search of employment.”
Ortega noted that 4,909 individuals from the long-term unemployed demographic re-entered the job market in the past twelve months.
In 2024, there was also a reduction in unemployment among those aged 25, with a decrease of 754 individuals (-8.09%), while the number of unemployed individuals over 45 years of age fell in December by 6,196 compared to a year ago (-5.97%).
