Initial evaluation of the Active Population Survey

(My Original Blog Post: http://www.spanishvida.com/2010/05/02/initial-evaluation-of-the-active-population-survey/)
Before going into the Council of Ministers Meeting, the Second Vice President of the Government and Minister for Economy and the Treasury, Elena Salgado, wanted to make an initial evaluation of the data from the Active Population Survey (EPA) that the National Statistics Institute (INE) has published this week.

Elena Salgado, in her appearance before the media, acknowledged that the unemployment rate of 20.05%, as published today by the INE, is “very high” and said that the Government’s main concern is to reduce those figures and create conditions so that employment is generated: she reiterated that they were devoting “all our efforts” to that task.

She added that the situation of the employment market throughout the whole year has been moderating and that the deterioration is far less pronounced than what it was in the first quarter of last year.

She also added that a much lower number of jobs have been lost, but the Government “is not hiding the seriousness of these figures”.

Finally, she insisted on the Government’s determination to devote all its efforts to the creation of jobs.

The Vice President Elena Salgado reminded everyone that this statement preceded the press conference held by the Secretary of State for the Economy at 11:30.