steviedeluxe

How does Andalucia survive? Is it all black market? And why are job figures so much better in the north (with the possible exception of Catalunya which isn't looking so good) ?

Fred James

That doesn't show the situation with the under 25's.

Overall unemployment for them across Spain is 49%. I shudder to think what that figure is in Andalucia.

steviedeluxe

I posted a link a couple of weeks back showing that 50% of 18-24 year olds in London were "economically inactive". Ok so that includes disabled and college kids, but it came as a shock. Wherever you look in shops and bars the staff are all youngsters. I suppose the difference is that many of those staff are Polish or Spanish here in London. Are all those shops and bars in Andalucia staffed by oldsters or migrants? Or even youngsters working on the black?

Lenox

Almería at 35%. This is the official figure - doesn't include all those really out of a job, including the unfortunate 'autonomos'. Furthermore, I think that converting tens of thousands of mainly British-owned homes in the Almanzora Valley into 'viviendas ilegales' may have helped push our economy into the bin...
Today Presidnit Zippy in El País: 'El presidente se siente "el principal responsable" de que el desempleo roce los cinco millones'.

steviedeluxe

Looking at the map, it's hard to get away from the impression that some of the worst affected areas are those that get the most tourists.

I've often wondered whether or not tourism is actually bad for Spain. I'm not going to start a thread on it though. A lot of posters here would have knee-jerk entrenched opinions, and it would be too hard for the moderators to keep tempers cool I think.

Domino

last time into Stansted the girl on the barrier at passport control was Polish or something according to her UKBA badge.

Dick Dasterdly

It's been an obvious and well publicised fact for a very long time, yet little was ever done to redress the balance with inevitable consequences.

Has it not always been the Socialist govt that considered the Andalucian situation as a major priority, even way back before the Civil War ?
Fat lot of good they have done.

I find the Portugese figure quite surprising considering the trouble they are said to be in.

Lenox

Greece was 16.6% in May according to this: Huffington Post. Almería at 35%. Romania was 7.2% in the Second Quarter. Almería, still wins through with (actually) 35.57%!

billgates

For all the unemployment around, there are still a lot of new cars driving about down here south of Granada.
Wish I could afford one and I'm in full-time employment.

Dick Dasterdly

I saw a news clip last night that reported new car sales down to the level of 1990, though whether that was a national or local figure I'm not quite sure.

cricketman

A very good question. Given the opinion of some Brits that they help provide jobs to Spaniards, well the facts seem to show the very opposite. All the areas where Brits live and tourists go to are the poorest areas in Spain and have the highest unemployment

It could be that the areas have been lazy for so long, depending on tourism, agriculture and construction and not diversifying their local economies. Its also true that in these areas the black economy is high as its relatively easy to work cash in hand in the tourism sector

Domino

don't know about cars, but there seem to be alot of Spaniards using Ryanair et al to visit the UK.

Domino

diversifying into what ??

cricketman

Anything they want. You cant grow an economy unless you have industry.

I thought the current financial crisis had taught us that?

jackytoo

What I did find suprising in the latest stats is that there are 321 Lawyers unemployed in málaga area.

The CDS couldn't function without tourism almost every job depends on it directly or indirectly. Would be a downward spiral without it. The spanish forums are always saying that the junta spends too much money and resources on tourism. They say the money should be spent on creating real jobs (In their words).