The year began in Lanzarote with an increase in unemployment of 51 people despite increased hiring. Specifically, according to data from the Canary Islands Employment Observatory, the island closed January with 10,930 unemployed compared to 10,879 at the end of 2018, which represents an increase of 0.4%. However, compared to the previous year, there is a decrease in unemployment of 4.2%, since in the first month of 2018 there were 11,415 unemployed on the island.
By municipalities, unemployment decreased in January in San Bartolomé, Tías and Yaiza, while it increased in Arrecife, Haría, Teguise and Tinajo. In the capital, at the end of the month there were 5,822 unemployed, 63 more than in December; while in Haría there were 379 unemployed, four more than the previous month. San Bartolomé, meanwhile, closed January with 1,187 unemployed, 20 less than in December; while Teguise did so with 1,103, 15 more than the previous month. Tías counted 1,133 unemployed at the end of January, four more than in December; Tinajo a total of 387, ten more than the previous month; and Yaiza 919, 17 less than in December
However, despite the fact that unemployment rose in Lanzarote in January, hiring increased. Specifically, 5,643 contracts were signed compared to the 4,729 that were signed in December, that is, 914 more or, what is the same, 19.3%.
In the Canary Islands as a whole, unemployment also increased in January, specifically by 1.16%, going from 207,015 to 209,419 unemployed. At the national level the same trend has continued, registering in the first month of the year an increase compared to December of 83,464 unemployed, so that the total number of unemployed in Spain stands at 3,285,761.