MADRID (AP) — Official statistics show the number of people out of work in Spain dropped by nearly half a million last year, further evidence of the country's resurging economy.

The National Statistics Institute said Thursday that 471,100 fewer people were unemployed at the end of 2017, making for a rounded total of 3.76 million. The unemployment rate finished at 16.6 percent, compared with 18.6 percent at the end of 2016.

The figure is still the second-highest rate in the 28-country European Union behind Greece.

Unemployment in Spain peaked at 27 percent in 2013 before it began to emerge from a severe five-year financial crisis

The institute said the jobless number rose by 34,900 in the final quarter, raising the overall rate to 16.6 percent from 16.4 percent in the third quarter.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

0
0
0
0
0

Load comments