Spain’s jobless figure drops 4th month in a row

People queue up outside an unemployment registry office in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, June 4, 2013. Spain’s Labor Ministry said the number of people registered as unemployed fell by 98,265 in May with more people finding jobs in the run-up to the summer tourist season. AP

MADRID—Spain’s Labor Ministry says the number of people registered as unemployed dropped for a fourth consecutive month in June with the total falling by 127, 248 as the summer tourist season generated more jobs.

The ministry said Tuesday the total number of people registered as jobless now stands at 4.76 million.

The news brought some cheer for a country stuck in recession and suffering a 27.2-percent unemployment rate.

The conservative government claims its austerity measures and reforms of the past two years are starting to work and that Spain should emerge from recession in the coming months.

The Labor ministry said that although June is traditionally a good time for employment, the latest figure was the best on record for that month.