​Mariano Rajoy says July unemployment data are an "encouragement for us to continue working hard in the future"

Social Security Technology Management Department, Madrid

After adding that the greatest guarantee for pensions is to keep creating jobs, Mariano Rajoy welcomed the unemployment data and Social Security figures corresponding to the month of July, which were released earlier on Tuesday. "These figures are a great encouragement for us to continue working hard in the future", he said.

Pool Moncloa/J.M. CuadradoThe President of the Government stressed that jobs not only guarantee pensions but also "guarantee the continued existence and improvement of major fundamental public services, such as healthcare, education and social services". Mariano Rajoy also stressed that the "great national objective" is still "to reach a figure of 20 million Spaniards in work and contributing to the Social Security system by 2020".

The President of the Government explained that the reforms undertaken in recent years continue "to stimulate growth and job creation". Nonetheless, he added that Spain needs "further new and significant stimuli to continue the recovery and create jobs, as well as to seriously tackle all the challenges that lie before us".

The Spanish Social Security system, a fine example of efficient management

President of the Government Rajoy also thanked the civil servants working at the Social Security system because he believes their "outstanding professionalism" has made this institution one of the "most highly valued by the people of Spain". Furthermore, he added that the Social Security system now represents "the greatest solidarity network" that exists in Spain, solidarity between generations, between regions and between contributors and recipients. He went on to say that this institution is "a fine example of efficient management and institutional quality of which every Spaniard can feel very proud, and rightly so".

In his speech, Mariano Rajoy said that the Social Security system "pays out almost 9.5 million benefits every month", which has "inspired confidence and provided certainty and security for all those who reach retirement age or find themselves in a situation of incapacity, invalidity, widowhood or orphanhood".

Pool Moncloa/J.M. CuadradoThe President of the Government said that adaptation of the Social Security system to new technologies has been one of the major objectives for the Commission for the Reform of the Public Administration Services (Spanish acronym: CORA). As he explained, efforts in this field have been focused on two important projects. On the one hand, the direct settlement system, which "has brought about a model shift in relations between the Social Security system and businesses" to save time and money on fewer "bureaucratic procedures". On the other hand, the so-called "Your Social Security" project, which was launched in July 2014 and changed the relationship between this institution and the general public. Since then, it has been possible to complete numerous procedures online. The system has been accessed 10 million times, 700 million certificates have been issued and 20 million benefit applications have been received.

The event was also attended by the acting Vice-President of the Government, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, and the Minister for Employment and Social Security, Fátima Báñez, among other officials.

The new headquarters of the Social Security Technology Management Department in Madrid cover an area of 58,000 square metres, where some 2,000 civil servants will work from now on.