Spain's unemployment rises by 46,400 people in August

MADRID, (Xinhua) - The number of people registered as unemployed in Spain rose by 46,400 people from July to August, according to data published on Monday by the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Security. 

The total number of unemployed people stood at 3.4 million in the eighth month of the year, with the rise ending with six months of falls in unemployment. August is traditionally a month when unemployment rises in the country due to the end of the tourist peak season. 

The number of people affiliated to the Social Security System fell by 179,485 to a total of 18.31 million, the Ministry reported, highlighting that the figure is still higher than that of a year earlier when 17.7 people were affiliated in August 2016. 

Unemployment especially rose in the services sector, increasing by 41,559 people. It rose by 7,811 people in the construction sector and by 7,277 people in the industry sector. 

Meanwhile, it decreased in the agriculture sector by 7,044 people. 

The number of unemployed women increased by 22,603 from July to August to a total of 1.9 million people, while the number of unemployed men rose by 23,797 to 1.4 million. 

The Ministry also reported that in the first eight months of the year the number of unemployed people fell by 302,650 when compared with the same period of 2016 while falling by 315,172 people in August year-on-year.