Mariano Rajoy stresses that "the quality of jobs is improving" since "a great many permanent employment contracts were signed" in 2017

Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña

The President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, positively assessed the employment figures for 2017, since "employment fell and more than 600,000 people found a job". He stressed that these figures are "pleasing" and "spur us on to continue working hard towards ensuring that things improve in the future".

Mariano Rajoy added that 611,146 new contributors were recorded in the social security system, making 2017 "the best year for more than a decade".

Recovery of jobs lost during crisis

The President of the Government also underlined that "the quality of these jobs is also improving" since in 2017 "a great many permanent employment contracts have been signed". He added that this means that the year that has just ended "has been the best year" for permanent employment since 2007.

The President of the Government explained that in recent years "more than 70% of all the jobs lost during the worst crisis we have seen in decades in Spain" have been recovered.

Pool Moncloa

He also pointed out that the goal is to ensure that "20 million Spaniards are working" by the end of the year 2019, a goal that can be achieved "if we do things with common sense and if everybody plays the part they need to".

Mariano Rajoy added that if "a great many more people can find a job" then the public authorities can collect more revenue and hence "better attend to the main public services", such as healthcare, education, social services and infrastructures.

Maintain economic growth

The President of the Government underlined that "the last few years have been good" for economic growth because Spain has grown "by more than the European average". He also expressed his trust in "us enjoying a fast rate of growth in Galicia and throughout Spain" in 2018.

Mariano Rajoy also pointed out that "the only element of uncertainty we are facing at this time for the Spanish economy is purely political", In this regard, he added that "if things are done in Catalonia sensibly and with common sense then Spain could grow by as much as 3%" and "could once again create more than half a million jobs a year".

Infrastructure in Galicia

Pool MoncloaMariano Rajoy presided over the event to inaugurate the works to extend the SAP-9 motorway in the stretch between north and south Santiago, accompanied by the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Ana Pastor, the Minister for Public Works, Íñigo de la Serna, and the President of the Regional Government of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. He explained that this project, including the re-modelling of the Sigüeiro intersection, which is already open, amounted to a total investment of more than 84 million euros.

The President of the Government mentioned other infrastructure investments in Galicia, such as the extension of Rande Bridge -"a milestone for Spanish engineering" that was recently inaugurated, with an investment of almost 200 million euros- the ring road around Santiago de Compostela, the completion of the A-54 motorway from Santiago to Lugo and the relief roads on the N-550 highway from Santiago to A Coruña.

High-speed railway to Galicia

As regards the high-speed railway line - "the main priority for communications in Galicia" - Mariano Rajoy specified that actions have already been implemented for the sum of 3.27 billion euros, out of a budget of 4.4 billion euros, in other words 74.4% of the total. He also reiterated that the commitment is "to complete the works in 2019".

The President of the Government declared that "investment in infrastructure makes great sense in that it provides a response to the needs of people and boosts the possibilities of our productive fabric". When Spain is "in the middle of its economic recovery, the aim is to be competitive in order to create jobs", he claimed.

Non official translation