Last year was not a particularly good year for those who were looking for work in the Spanish region of Catalonia, as year-on-year figures showed a slump in the number in full time employment, but the last month of the year showed a slight recovery.

The latest data released by the Spanish Ministry for Employment and Social Security has shown that 2011 ended with a decrease in the number of people in employment. Unemployment in the region grew by 9.17 per cent in December when compared to the previous year.

However, December itself showed signs of recovery, and during the month there were 1,425 fewer job seekers than there were in November, showing that more people are able to find work. This was the second consecutive monthly increase.

Eurostat reported in December that Spain had the highest unemployment figures in the EU, with 22.8 per cent of people in the country unable to find work.