Azores are reducing unemployment and increasing employment at a sustained and progressive pace, says Sérgio Ávila
The Vice-president of the Government stressed that the data released today by the National Statistics Institute (INE) reveal that the Region, "unlike the rest of the country," registered a decrease in the unemployment rate in the last quarter of 2014.
For Sérgio Ávila, "the Azores maintain the trend towards a gradual reduction in the unemployment rate, unlike the rest of the country where there was a rise in unemployment in the last quarter."
The government official stressed that, more importantly, the data released today show that "the employed population in the Azores grew four percent. Indeed, there were more 3,754 employed Azoreans in the end of 2014 regarding the same period in 2013 and there was less 1,875 unemployed."
Sérgio Ávila also pointed out that the INE estimates the employed population in the Azores at 103,518 people, which is "the highest figure since the third quarter of 2011. Indeed, there have never been so many jobs created in the Azores over the last 13 quarters.
"According to the data revealed today, a total of 4525 jobs were created in the Azores in the past nine months," the Vice-President said, stressing that it demonstrates that "the unemployment rate continues to drop in the Region, recording a significant reduction over the previous year."
The number of unemployed in the Azores in the last quarter of 2014 decreased nine percent compared to same period in 2013, which, according to Sérgio Ávila, is a sign that the Government "is on the right path."
"We are reducing unemployment and increasing employment in the Azores at a sustained and progressive pace," Sérgio Ávila said, stressing that "there is still a lot of work to be done."
For the Vice-President of the Government, "the priority status awarded to employment should continued and further reinforced" by pursuing a strategy that has been outlined. Given the results achieved, it will allow us to strengthen the trend of employment growth and the reduction of unemployment in the Azores."