7 - 13 January 2016
COSTA DEL SOL
YOUR PAPER, YOUR VOICE, YOUR OPINION
WWW.EUROWEEKLYNEWS.COM
Steering the ship THE times they are by Matthew Elliott A leader in job creation, Malaga Province, home of the dynamic Costa del Sol, has soared beyond all expectations by finally reining in rampant unemployment. With more than 11,000 fewer jobless, despite a higher population, the gogetting region exceeded all of its Andalucian neighbours in stamping 2016 with a positive start. Adding more than 18,000 new jobs, Malaga Province has now surpassed a symbolic milestone, with as many people in gainful work as before the economic crisis. The services sector led the surge, and, while unemployment figures are still above pre-recession levels, this is in keeping with a sizeable population expansion. Spearheading the wider recovery across Andalucia, which has doubled in speed in 2015, was no mean feat as this community registered the biggest national drop in unemployment in absolute terms, contributing to 51 per cent of the national decline.
‘a-changin’ Nick Stubbs via Shutterstock
ISSUE NO. 1592
To be clear, the scourge of unemployment persists across Spain, afflicting thousands of households, while many new contracts are temporary in nature, reflecting our uncertain times. Regardless, this is highly encouraging news for the Costa del Sol, one of the creative and entrepreneurial hubs of the entire province. With 2015 full of positive news for property, business, and culture across the coast, it’s heart-warming to see the terrific efforts of citizens and expats alike translate into that most fruitful of harvests - jobs. If greater Malaga is steering the Andalucian ship, then it is the spirited towns and cities of the Costa del Sol that are the engine of this great nation.