According to the official figures, the jobless rate in the 16 countries that use the euro held steady at 9.9% in the month of January for the third successive month.

In the first estimation for January, the EU's statistics office told media that almost 15.7 million people were unemployed in the eurozone, an increase of 136,000 as compared to the same period in previous year.

On the yearly basis, unemployment has increased by 2.2 million in the eurozone.

According to the data revealed by the Markit's Purchasing Manager's Index, the rate of the downturn in Spanish manufacturing area eased to its slowest rate since January 2008 in Feb 2010 as exports helped increase new orders.

The country's financial system was fighting with recession during the last quarter of 2009 as many of its European neighbours' economic systems returned to growth.

The second Turkey-Spain inter-government summit is all set to take place in the Spanish capital of Madrid.

According to the officials, summit is going to be a gesture by the present EU term president Spain as the nation will actally host summits with other nations in late June.

Moreover, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan will take part in the Madrid summit along with 10 other ministers.

In the meantime, both Turkey and Spain will ink two cooperation deals on health and diplomacy.

According to latest data revealed by Property-Abroad. com, Spain has gained popularity among the potential property. It has become the second most seek out destination for property investment.

Spain’s holiday villas have succeeded in attracting the attention of property buyers.

In its report Spanish property website, Kyero. com said that there was a 63 per cent rise in the number of unique visitors to website for the very first week of 2010 in contrast to same period last year.

Spain’s jobless rate hit the record high for more than a decade in the month of December, touching the mark of 4 million and dealing a blow to José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain’s Socialist prime minister, who has made job creation the center of his economic plan.

While talking to reporters, the Labour Ministry said, “The number of Spaniards listed as unemployed rose by almost 55,000 in December to reach 3.92m. It makes 2009 the year with the highest unemployment level since at least 1997, the starting point for the current data series.”

According to the data, Spanish retail sales declined in the month of November at the steepest rate since May in calendar-adjusted terms, as falling customer demand showed little sign of perking up.

Country’s retail sales have dropped by 5.5% year-on-year in the month of November in calendar-adjusted terms as compared with a 2.7% year-on-year decline in the month of October and a record 9.1% fall in February this year.

Adjusting only for inflation, retail sales came down by 4.3% year-on-year, hitting the 19th successive month of shrinkage for that measure.

The Economy Minister of Spain Elena Salgado said that the country’s jobless rate is likely to increase at a constantly lower rate in the month of December as compared to the same period a year ago, and could even record a decline.

Further, the economy minister said, “We think it (registered jobless rise) will be a figure that is significantly lower than December last year. It could even be favourable.”

Foreign Minister of Spain, Miguel Angel Moratinos, said that the country (Spain) will try to find an approach for recession-hit European economic systems to come up in the next decade, when it takes over the EU presidency from January 1.

While talking to reporters, Miguel Angel Moratinos said, “The most important goal is a coordinated exit from the economic crisis and establishing a sustainable growth strategy for European countries for the horizon of 2020.”

Spain has been among the European nations worst hit by the worldwide recession.

The leading export markets are looking forward for serious recovery in the Spanish market.

Council for leather exports (CLE), the leading body for development of Indian leather industry, is hoping to establish its first leather show in Madrid, Spain on March 22-26, 2010.

Even though, the council is holding road shows as well as B2B meetings over the past couple of years, CLE, for the first time, will host a show on a big scale to showcase leather products like finished leather, footwear, leather garments, leather goods and other goods as well.

The national grid operator of Spain has declared that the demand of power in the country has declined by 4.3 percent in this year.

According to the opening report, REE (REE. MC) total demand of 251,305 gigawatt-hours in mainland Spain, or 4.6% below as against 2008, before making adjustmens for variations in temperature and workdays.