The number of people affiliated with Social Security in the Marina Alta on the last day of May it was 52.497, which means that the system registered 695 more registered workers than at the end of last April (increase of 1,3%). This data contrasts with the decline of 95 affiliates that occurred during April and 1.814 in March.
The relaxation measures given the current situation experienced by COVID-19 affect differently by affiliation regime, so while in activities registered under the general regime it is the first month-on-month increase since the impact of the pandemic by COVID-19, for the general agrarian regime supposes a fall of the occupation of 10,5%.
Regarding the unemployment data shown in this last month, the reading may vary depending on the reference month or months with which it is compared. Although it is true that the highest number of unemployed persons since 31 (2015) was reached on May 13.343, denoting this economic paralysis caused by the coronavirus, placing May as the worst month of May in the historical series of the labor market (increase in unemployment by 37,3% compared to May 2019). We can also see an improvement in terms of the pandemic context experienced, because although April meant increasing unemployment figures by 11,8% compared to March, with the measures of relaxation of the population's lack of confinement, plus the incipient summer campaign, cause this May the number of job seekers to grow by just 1,4% compared to the previous month.
We can speak of a correction in the growth rate, in which unemployment records rose in the last two months, when it then grew by 781 and 1.385 applicants (compared to the current growth of 189 unemployed in May). In this sense, the impact of the health crisis continues to be negative in the labor market (unemployment increased by 21,4% compared to the month before the state of alarm was declared - this same time interval in 2019 translated into a decrease in unemployment of 12,8% -), although its evolution in the short term (month to month) invites us to understand that it is logical that this labor crisis should continue to be corrected further. With all this, in May, an estimated unemployment rate of 20,3% is contemplated in the Marina Alta.
As soon as we analyze unemployment by main economic activity, we highlight the incidence of the health crisis in the services sector (it represents 77% of all the applicants) due to the weight that this activity exercises in the region. Although in relative terms and under the recent temporary context, this increase in unemployment in said sector compared to last month was only 1,2% (while the variation in demand for the service sector in April compared to March was 11,1, one%). It should be noted that the agriculture sector has the highest rate of variation of unemployment compared to the rest of the economic sectors, as the number of applicants increased by 11,1% compared to April (taking into account that they represent the lowest percentage of unemployed with respect to the total). An assessment should be made as to whether the relaxation factor of measures before entering phase 2 could be one of the reasons for dispensing so much with essential services. Lastly, regarding unemployment by sector, it should be noted that construction and industry have decreased their number of unemployed compared to April.
Regarding the figures for the unemployed by age and sex, we highlight the higher percentage growth in unemployment in women compared to last month (1,9%, compared to 0,8% in men). When we cross the variable by age, the youngest group is the most affected if we compare its evolution with respect to April; applicants <25 years of age. In terms of hiring, the de-escalation increases hiring in May. The increase in hiring in the region has favored all economic sectors (1.592 new contracts). Thus, 108 have increased in Agriculture to reach 141, 35 in Construction (401), 20 in Industry (101) and 283 in Services (949), this last sector accounts for 63,5% of the total increase. Since the declaration of the state of alarm, the territory has been immersed in a major health and labor crisis. In just these three months, a total of 5.271 contracts have been added, while in the same quarter of last year more than doubled (12.646 contracts) were reached. On the other hand, this growth in hiring with respect to the previous month (increase of 39%) has different readings when hiring between men and women is compared. In terms of growth compared to April, there are in relative values more hires in women than in men (44% increase compared to 36% in men), but the hiring disparity is manifested in the percentage of hires during this exceptional situation, since the ratio of contracts in May is almost two contracts for men for every contract for women (as in April).
