(26 Oct 2012)
1. Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria and Employment Minister Fatima Banez entering room for news conference
2. Various of Santamaria and Banez
3. Wide of Santamaria and Banez in news conference
4. Mid of camera operator
5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister:
"Every released figure about unemployment is a reinforcement for us to keep working and to corroborate we cannot slow down the pace of reforms. We have to work fast and as hard as possible to get back to growth and employment creation in this country. That is the task for this government."
6. Close up of journalist taking notes
7. Mid of journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Fatima Banez, Spanish Employment Minister:
"The main aim of this reform is to put a stop to the destruction of jobs during this crisis. That way, when we get back to growth, the jobs created will be stable ones, of good quality. Clearly said, we want firing to be the last source in Spain. We want flexibility measures to be the instrument used by companies and workers to get over this situation of economical crisis, which has been going on too long, for too many years".
10. Close of photographer
11. Mid of Santamaria and Banez
12. Wide of news conference
STORYLINE:
New unemployment figures show that almost a quarter of Spaniards are now out of work, as the economic crisis tightens its grip on the country.
Spain's National Statistics Institute said on Friday that 85,000 more people joined the ranks of the unemployed between July and September (2012), raising the total to 5.78 (m) million.
Following a cabinet meeting, Spain's Deputy Prime Minister and Employment Minister expressed disappointment at the figures and said the government was focused on pushing through labour reforms to create conditions for stable employment and economic growth.
"Every released figure about unemployment is a reinforcement for us to keep working and to corroborate we can not lose the rhythm of reforms," said Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria.
"We have to work fast and as hard as possible to get back to growth and employment creation in this country. That is a task for this government," she added.
Employment Minister, Fatima Banez said she wanted the dismissal of workers to be a last resort for employers and said the key to moving on is flexibility.
"We want flexibility measures to be the instrument used by companies and workers to get over this situation of economical crisis, which is being too long and lasting for too many years," said Banez.
Friday's batch of figures brought the country's unemployment rate up by around 0.4 percentage points in the third quarter to 25.02 percent.
For those under 25 years of age, the unemployment rate edged down marginally to 52 percent from 53 percent in the previous quarter.
The National Institute said that over the past 12 months some 800,000 people had lost their jobs.
Spain is under pressure to ask for outside aid to help deal with its debts as it's in its second recession in three years.
It has already been granted a 100 (b) billion euro (130 (b) billion US dollar) bailout facility for its troubled banks while many of its regional government are also in bad financial shape.
Spain is one of the focal points in Europe's debt crisis because if it defaulted or needed a full-blown bailout, the finances of the 17-country group that uses the euro could be severely stretched.
The measures, in particular the labour reform that makes it easier to dismiss workers, have led to many strikes and protests.
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