The number of people registered as jobless in Spain fell by 2.6 percent in June from a month earlier, or by 127,248 people, leaving 4.76 million people out of work, data from the Labour Ministry showed on Tuesday (July 2).

The figures are not seasonally adjusted and often reflect holiday hires by hotels and restaurants and agricultural harvests. When the numbers are adjusted to account for seasonal variations, the number of registered unemployed people edged higher.

Youth jobless rates continue to reach alarming levels, with over 50% of 18-25-year-olds out of work. Spain trails only Greece for youth unemployment. Eurostat figures put the rate at 56.5 percent, compared to 59.2 percent in Greece.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, the number of registered jobless rose by 996 people from the previous month, the data showed. Before the construction crash in 2008, large numbers of young people were enticed out of school and into relatively well paid construction jobs. Many are now unemployed and have low levels of education.

The problem of youth unemployment will be the main topic of discussion at a summit led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Wednesday (July 3). Leaders of governments and top European Union institutions will try and find solutions to combat the crisis.

Presented by Adam Justice