tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25064447.post3158812123475017010..comments2013-09-12T06:30:06.298+02:00Comments on Spain Economy Watch: Mr Bean Meets The Three Wise MenUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25064447.post-24293971297714647642010-01-16T22:47:19.734+01:002010-01-16T22:47:19.734+01:00I pay 40 euros a month for phone and internet,whil...I pay 40 euros a month for phone and internet,while my mother in LOndon pays just 20.That would be a start...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25064447.post-16503950575197409842010-01-12T00:01:00.406+01:002010-01-12T00:01:00.406+01:00Happy New Year to all.
Edward, I think your forec...Happy New Year to all.<br /><br />Edward, I think your forecasts for 'real' unemployment and inflation have in fact been very close to the mark or even a bit short. Worsening the deficit by generating 400,000 plus entirely temporary jobs in largely unnecessary PlanE projects is such a foolish thing for a government to do that no one could reasonably have expected it. Add to that a few hundred thousand on training courses and EREs, which invariably is just a precursor for subsequent full unemployment status, and I think the real figure is well past 4.5m.<br /><br />Also during this period there has been no shedding whatsoever of public employees by autonomias and councils in spite of dramatically falling revenues. In fact according to a recent report in El Mundo, recruitment in the public sector has been going up and in some regions like Extremadura it has reached a staggering 33% of total labour force in region.<br /><br />Inflation has been positive but again I think the government is playing an important role here by permitting monopolistic or quasi-monopolistic companies to increase prices well above the IPC. I'm thinking especially of the utilities and companies like RENFE who are hiking prices on local trains by more than 6% or 10 times the inflation rate. This I think is offsetting the fall in the competitive market- food, clothes, electrical goods etc.<br /><br />Like you say, just buying time.<br /><br />Chris.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02257921930390162567noreply@blogger.com