Mariano Rajoy points out that the May job figures show that the economic recovery is not temporary, but structural

General Secretariat for Immigration and Emigration, Madrid

With these figures, Mariano Rajoy explained that jobs had been created for the last 22 months, following six and a half years of job destruction, which indicated that the recovery is not a "technical rally" but "structural". He added that since February 2013 the Social Security system has recovered more than a million members and that so far this year indefinite employment contracts have increased by 15%. He also insisted that the major goal must be to have twenty million people in work by 2019, the end of the government's next period in office. Only then will it be possible to speak of a "full recovery".

As the President of the Government explained, we can achieve this objective if we "persevere"; if the structural reforms and fiscal consolidation efforts remain in place: "This is not a question of the government, a regional government or local council. It is something that is an achievement of Spanish society as a whole; of the workers, the companies, whether large, medium-sized or small; of the self-employed; and, of course, of the correct economic policy."

In 2015 Spain will lead economic growth in the Eurozone

Pool MoncloaMariano Rajoy also insisted that the goal is for economic recovery to be felt in "all the homes in our country, particularly those homes to which the crisis has brought so much suffering."

He stated that Spain is "a great country" that has managed to overcome "a crisis of considerable proportions" while maintaining the pillars of its Welfare State. He stressed that in 2015 it will be the country that creates most jobs in all the Eurozone and that it will lead economic growth in Europe. According to the European Commission, Spain will grow this year by 2.8%; the Government gives a figure of 2.9% and some research services as much as 3.5%.

Self-employment, essential for economic recovery

The President of the Government thanked the self-employed and companies in the social economy for their significant contribution to recovery in the Spanish economy. In his opinion, the dynamism and drive provided by self-employment has - since the start of this Government's term in office - created 215,000 jobs, 96,702 of them self-employed workers and 118,000 employees. "You should be aware," he added, "that you are absolutely essential for the continued recovery in the Spanish economy over the coming years."

Mariano Rajoy also listed some of the measures approved by the Government to promote self-employment and the establishment of companies in the social economy, such as the flat-rate contributions to Social Security and the second-chance mechanism. He highlighted the Supplier Payment Plan, because it has "justly" saved many people who had not been paid by the public administrations.

Pool MoncloaLooking to the future, the President of the Government referred to the three latest Bills that the Government has already submitted to Parliament to support self-employment and the social economy. the Bill to Promote and Boost Self-employment and the Social Economy; the Bill on Worker-Owned Companies and Investees, and the Bill to Reform the System of Vocational Training for Employment.

In addition, Mariano Rajoy set some targets for self-employment: the number of self-employed registered with the Social Security system should increase by 550,000 over the period 2015-2019. This figure, he explained, will exceed the all-time high of 3,400,000 people registered in the special self-employed scheme in 2008.