Unemployment figures rose 7.86 percent over 2011

Unemployment in Spain rose by 7.86 percent in 2011, meaning that there are currently 4,422,359 people without work.

Over the course of the past 12 months, 322,286 people have joined the lines at employment offices. December showed a marked difference from the figures for 2010, with a rise of 1,897 job seekers last month compared to a decrease of 10,221 a year earlier. Last year saw a decrease of 355,000 Social Security contributors, compared to 218,857 during 2010.

By sector, compared to the November data, unemployment figures showed wide disparity. In agriculture, for example, joblessness dropped by 5,636, while in industry the figure rose by 1.81 percent to 9,034. Construction was again worst hit, with 23,778 jobs shed, while in services a 0.47-percent increase represented 12,465 mostly seasonal jobs.

The secretary of state for employment, Engracia Hidalgo, said the data for December "confirms the deterioration of the economic situation during the second half of the year." Her counterpart at the National Institute of Social Security, Tomás Burgos, added: "It is a very negative statistic."