UNEMPLOYED, FUCK THEM ALL! (I)

It isn’t a bad-taste joke. Thursday 19^th July Mariano Rajoy (Chief of Government) explained in the Spanish Parliament a new austerity package. When he began to inform on unemployment benefit cuts, Andrea Fabra (MP People’s Party) shouted “Fuck them all!” (regarding to unemployed people)  Beyond her obscene language, Fabra’s words reveal a widespread feeling in right wing parties and European institutions: Spanish high unemployment ratios are partially due to an overprotecting system which discourages unemployed people to look for a job. Let’s see the guidelines of such a generous system:

·        According to the latest Economically Active Population Survey (EPA, in Spanish) data developed by the National Statistics Institute (INE,) there are 5.637.500 unemployed people (24’44%).

·        According to the Ministry of Employment 66’84% the coverage rate of unemployed receiving unemployment benefits in the first quartile of 2012 is 66’84%, (- 5’32% from same period last year even though unemployment is 3’15% higher).

·        How long can unemployed people receive unemployment (regular) benefits? Up to 2 years, depending of the days previously worked.

Days worked	Duration (days) of benefits
From 360 to 539	120
540 – 719	180
720 - 899	240
900 - 1079	300
1.080 - 1259	360
1.260 – 1.439	420
1.440 – 1.619	480
1.620 – 1.799	540
1.800 – 1979	600
1.980 – 2.159	660
Over 2.160	720

So the benefits will last 3 months if an unemployed have worked between a year and a year and a half; one year in case of 3 years-3 years and a half worked, or 2 years in case of more than 6 years worked.

Tomorrow we will take a sight of the unemployment benefit amounts.

Andrea Fabra; MP People's Party