The Vice-President of the Government pointed out that the data published today by the National Statistics Institute (INE) show that the unemployment rate in the Azores has decreased by half in just three years, being lower than the national average.
"We have managed to reduce the unemployment rate in the Azores by half in three years, under the measures we have implemented," Sérgio Ávila said, mentioning the unemployment rate of 9.3% registered in the first quarter of this year.
The government official pointed out that "there are now 12,190 more workers in the Azores and 10,131 fewer unemployed Azoreans than three years ago."
The INE data also show that employment increased in the first three months of this year, both from a year-on-year and a quarterly basis. In fact, there were increases of 5.3% in the same period (5.559 more jobs) and 3.0% in the quarterly (3,252 more jobs).
"This growth in employment is even more significant because, at this time, the number of Azorean workers is the highest of the last eight years," even with the increase of the working population," stressed Sérgio Ávila.
These results, he added, were only possible due to the strategy implemented by the Government of the Azores in 2013.
According to the government official, "the answer will be given today" to those who at the time questioned the effectiveness of the measures listed in the Azorean Agenda for Employment Creation and Business Competitiveness.
Sérgio Ávila spoke during a visit to the premises of the "Azores Fair," promoted by Insco in partnership with the Regional Government. On the occasion, the government official made a point of "sharing these results" with workers and companies.
In this context, he stated that the current situation "is only possible through the joint action of Azorean companies and workers, who knew how to seize the opportunities," ensuring the Regional Government's commitment to continue the path towards the creation of more jobs.
The Vice-President also stated that sustained growth in employment and the reduction of unemployment are not the result of occupational programmes, stressing that these results are achieved at a time when there are no new programmes and unemployment is at its lowest in the last eight years.