The Vice-President of the Government expressed his satisfaction with the continued decline of the unemployment rate in the Azores. According to the latest data released by the National Statistics Institute (INE), it dropped 3.1 percentage points in a year and 0.6 percentage points compared to the previous quarter.

Sérgio Ávila spoke Wednesday at the awarding ceremony of diplomas to the graduates of Praia da Vitória Vocational Training School. The government official stressed that in the last quarter, "the Azores were only region of the country where the unemployment dropped" 0.6 percentage points, while "there was an increase 0.2 percentage points" in the remaining national territory."

The Vice-President also highlighted the fact the unemployment rate in the Azores is no longer the highest of Portugal, standing at 14.9%, when compared to 16.4% in Algarve, 15.8% in Madeira and 15.5% in Alentejo.

Another data revealed by INE concerns the employed population, which increased 5.6% in the Azores year-on-year and 1% regarding the previous semester.

"In the last 12 months, the number of employed Azorean increased by 5,536 and there was more 1,011 employed Azoreans only in the last three months," stressed the government official.

Sérgio Ávila also mentioned that the annual employment rate is the highest since the fourth quarter of 2001, stressing that "there has not been such a high rate of employment creation for 13 years."

"This quarter is the culmination of a one-year period that registered, simultaneously, the creation on annual and quarterly basis." The government official emphasised the creation of employment on a year-on-year basis over the five consecutive quarters, pointing out that the creation of employment has been both quarterly and annual for four consecutive quarters.

The Vice-president noted that the employed population in the archipelago is currently estimated at 104,529, being "the highest figure since the third quarter of 2011." In this context, the government official highlighted the fact that the unemployment is dropping "even with the growth of the working population." This was only possible "due to the significant increase of the employed population."

With regard to Azorean unemployed, the figures are estimated at 18,317 in the first quarter of 2015, which "represents a reduction of 15.7% in a year and less 3,408 unemployed," said the Vice-president.

Sérgio Ávila also pointed out the fact that the youth unemployment rate, “despite being still high,” stands at 37.8%, compared to 46% in the previous quarter and 43% in the same quarter of the previous year.

For the Vice-President of the Government, these data "demonstrate that we are on right track," but, at the same time, "they reinforce the fact that there is still much work to be done."

"This is a challenge we have to overcome, however we should be satisfied with the results already achieved," stressed Sérgio Ávila.