Spanish unemployment now affects more than four million in the Mediterranean country, the latest figures have revealed.

The labor ministry disclosed that jobless claims in Spain rose by 3.1 per cent to more than four million in January, which is a 22 per cent increase on figures for the same period in 2009.

Highlighting the continuing economic downturn in the European country, this data reflects the collapse of Spain's labor-intensive housing market last year.

The national unemployment rate rose to 18.83 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to figures revealed late last month by the National Statistics Institute.

Maravillas Rojo, employment secretary, explained that the government will implement new measures to solve the labor market crisis.

She said that "January is a bad month for employment" traditionally, but that the administration would be unveiling new propels to fight further unemployment on Friday (February 5th).

Last month, Spain's minister for labor and immigration Celestine Corbacho suggested that the country is in the "final stages of the destruction of jobs".