The number of Spaniards out of work leapt to a 12-year high in October, marking the worst level in the eurozone, as Spain's labour market was hit harder by market turmoil than any other in the currency bloc.
The consequences of debt and property booms came tumbling down on Spanish firms and workers in October, sending 192,658 people onto the dole in the biggest jump in joblessness for any month on record, according to data from the Labour Ministry on Tuesday.
After seven straight months of increase, the total number of Spanish jobless reached 2.82 million, up 37.5 percent from a year earlier, and the highest level since April 1996.
On Friday, official eurozone unemployment data for September showed Spain had by far the highest proportion of unemployed at 11.9 percent of its workforce, compared with a 7.5 percent average for the 15 countries using the euro currency. According to the Spanish statistics institute, third quarter unemployment stood at 11.3 percent.
Spain's government blamed problems on the financial crisis, which has turned the end of a property boom into a rout. Sharp falls in bank lending, house prices and consumer spending sent debt defaults among Spanish firms and individuals up 263 percent between July and September, forcing companies to lay off staff, government data showed on Tuesday.