Escrivá describes the unemployment and affiliation data as "very good" because they improve those of 2017-2019

MADRID, 4 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, José Luis Escrivá, described this Tuesday as "very good" the unemployment and affiliation data for the month of September because they improve those obtained in the 2017-2019 period, "which are very good years job growth".

Escrivá, in statements to Antena 3 collected by Europa Press, highlighted that almost 30,000 net jobs were created in September, a figure that in the current environment of "uncertainty and volatility", takes on, in his opinion, even more importance.

The minister recalled that, seasonally, unemployment usually rises in September, but it has risen below the average for the years 2017-2019.

At the same time, he stressed that since the pre-pandemic level was exceeded, Social Security has gained 730,000 affiliates, which shows, in his opinion, an "enormous dynamism in the labor market" which, in turn, "reflects the resilience of the Spanish economy in a complex environment".

For Escrivá, the important thing in a context "as uncertain" as the current one, is to analyze the data that is arriving, the real data, not the forecasts about what can happen. "And what is happening is that there are 30,000 more jobs than in August," said the minister, who stressed that, when jobs are created, it is because companies do not see the economic outlook as "so gloomy."

This higher quality job creation, as highlighted by the minister, is making it possible to "reinforce Social Security finances", whose income from contributions is growing at a rate of 9%, which in turn is allowing the deficit to be cut of the system.

Asked if he foresees the entry into recession of the Spanish economy, Escrivá pointed out that the same thing was said when the war between Russia and Ukraine began. "And eight months have passed and it has not materialized in any case," he emphasized.

The minister has insisted that, with employment growing at rates of 4%, contributions rising to 9% and with tax bases increasing in real terms, "GDP cannot be decreasing in any case". In addition, he has recalled that the potential growth of the Spanish economy is usually estimated at 1.7% and the Government expects growth above this figure.

Regarding the agreement between United We Can and the PSOE for the General State Budgets of 2023, Escrivá did not want to go into details and limited himself to highlighting "how valuable and meritorious" it is that the first coalition government that Spain has had goes to present new public accounts for the last year of the legislature.

With regard to the Social Security Budget, Escrivá has highlighted that the provisions of the pension reform and the recommendations of the Toledo Pact will be complied with by maintaining the purchasing power of pensions.

At the same time, he underlined that the Social Security accounts are "extraordinarily solid", with a forecast deficit for this year of 0.5% of GDP, five tenths less than in 2021. "The expectation is that next year Let's maintain a similar situation", the minister pointed out.

In relation to the latest fiscal measures adopted by the Government, Escrivá has considered that the path followed by the Executive to protect purchasing power is "much more effective" than implementing general measures, such as the deflation of personal income tax.

"It is a focused way of tackling a problem (...), much finer than broad brush policies that are being ruled out by experts," the minister opined.