May closes with an increase in recruitment in the Marina Alta
The number of people affiliated to Social Security in the Marina Alta on the last day of May was 52.497, which means that the system registered 695 workers registered more than at the end of April (increase of 1,3% ). This figure 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.
En cuanto a las cifras de desempleados por edad y sexo, remarcamos el mayor crecimiento porcentual del paro en las mujeres respeto al mes pasado (1,9%, frente al 0,8% en los hombres). Cuando cruzamos la variable por edad, es el colectivo más joven el más perjudicado si comparamos su evolución respecto a abril; los demandantes <25 años. En cuanto a las contrataciones, la desescalada incrementa las contrataciones en mayo. El incremento de las contrataciones en la comarca ha favorecido a todos los sectores económicos (1.592 nuevos contratos). Así, han aumentado 108 en Agricultura hasta alcanzar 141, 35 en Construcción (401), 20 en Industria (101) y 283 en Servicios (949), este último sector acapara el 63,5% del total de la subida. Desde la declaración del estado de alarma el territorio se ha visto inmerso en una gran crisis sanitaria y laboral. Tan solo en estos tres meses se han sumado un total de 5.271 contratos, mientras que en ese mismo trimestre del año pasado se alcanzaron más del doble (12.646 contratos). Por otro lado, este crecimiento de las contrataciones respecto al mes anterior (incremento del 39%) tiene distintas lecturas cuando se compara las contrataciones entre hombres y mujeres. En términos de crecimiento respecto a abril, existen en valores relativos más contrataciones en mujeres que en hombres (incremento del 44% frente al 36% en hombres), pero la disparidad de la contratación se manifiesta en el porcentaje de contrataciones durante esta situación excepcional, pues la razón de contratos en mayo es de casi dos contratos en hombres por cada contrato de mujer (al igual que en el mes de abril).