Spain is still suffering from the economic crisis as unemployment rates in the country reach a record high, now standing at a massive 27.2% of the workforce now unemployed.
This is a huge blow to the EU and the austerity measures applied in order to get the country moving again. What seems clear is that all countries that have implemented severe austerity measures upon their residents are in fact shrinking, not growing.
Families in Spain continue to suffer day in day out as they struggle to put food on the table and afford the basic amenities of life that any human being should be entitled to.
The number of unemployed people in Spain is the highest in Europe at just over six million, five years on from the start of the crisis which saw property prices plummet and many property developers file for bankruptcy.
Today (Friday 26th April) Mariano Rajoy is expected to reveal some policy measures that are meant to stop the recession in Spain. However, there is much scepticism about these measures and already there has been rumour of u-turns in policy and not enough time to think them out properly.
The IMF revised its forecast for growth in Spain by altering it to 1.6% contraction from the previous forecast of 1.5%, and they went on to suggest that unemployment rates should peak at 27% for the year.
As a resident of Spain you can see the crisis all around. Living in a holiday resort can blinker the real situation as tourists head out for the summer season, but off season bars fall empty, restaurants close to keep costs down and shops close down.
Many people have had to tighten their belts dramatically and they are now on the last notch. We all hope and pray that the economy starts to turn around and that Spain once again begins to prosper and provide stable incomes for all of its residents.
