Azores register sharpest the decrease in the annual unemployment rate and the largest growth of the working population over the last 13 years
The Vice-President of the Government highlighted today the fact that the Region registered the most significant reduction in the annual unemployment in country in the end of third quarter 2015; it stood at 12.1 percent, representing a drop of 3.6 percentage points in comparison to the same period in 2014.
Sérgio Ávila mentioned the latest data from the National Statistics Institute (INE), released this morning, recalling that the Azores had already registered the largest annual reduction in the unemployment rate in the second quarter, with less 4.7 percentage points than the previous year.
The government official also highlighted the growth of the employed population over the past year. There are "more 5,916 Azorean workers compared to the number of workers registered last year; it corresponds to an increase of 302 workers regarding the last quarter."
"Over the last six quarters, employment in the Azores has grown, not only compared to the previous quarter but also to the same period last year. Currently, it registers an employment growth rate, which is the highest since the fourth quarter of 2001," said Vice-President of the Government.
"It has been the highest rate of annual employment growth, i.e., a 5.7 percent growth over the past 13 years," Sérgio Ávila said, adding that "the number of employed workers in the Azores has been currently the highest since the second quarter of 2011."
Sérgio Ávila stressed that today there are 9328 more Azorean workers than in early 2014. Hence, there are 4,098 fewer unemployed Azoreans than a year ago and 6,747 fewer unemployed than in early 2014.
"As for the unemployment rate, there is a decrease of 3.6 percentage points compared to that in the same period of 2014 and an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared the previous quarter. This increase is not justified by the reduction in employment, which continues to grow, but by the growth of the active population that essentially derives from the entry into of young graduates into the labour market that will be absorbed by the labour market in the coming quarters," said the government official.
For Sérgio Ávila, the data released today "are a sign that the effort and the policies conducted by the Government in terms of employment policies are bearing fruit," as evidenced by the highest growth of employment rates in the past 13 years and by the highest number of employed population since 2011.
"If we compare the current situation with the beginning of the legislative period, the Azores have 8,457 more workers and 4,826 fewer unemployed," said the government official.
The Vice-President of the Government stressed that "while there is an unemployed Azorean, there is a problem to be solved." The INE data gives the Government "more strength and confidence" to strengthen employment policies so that "the Azoreans who intend to enter the labour market and the unemployed can have an effective response."
Sérgio Ávila also stated that the Government intends, through the development of employment policies, "to extend the response to those who need it, taking into consideration that the path we have followed is yielding results; the latter are already included in the statistical released today."