Tourism pulls Spain's jobless below 4m for first time since 2010 in May

[MADRID] The number of people registered as jobless in Spain fell by 2.99 per cent in May from a month earlier and below 4 million for the time in six years, data from the Labour Ministry showed on Thursday.

Helped by hiring in the services sector ahead of the summer tourism season, which is expected to be busier than ever this year, May is traditionally a strong month for the job market and, in terms of falling unemployment, this was the best one on record.

The number of jobless fell by 119,768, leaving 3.89 million people out of work.

Unemployment has gradually been waning since Spain's economy began to grow again nearly three years ago, after a real estate crash and a crippling double-dip recession caused a spike in joblessness.

The latest numbers come three weeks ahead of Spain's second election in six months on June 26.

REUTERS