South Tenerife: Gender Unemployment Gap Doubles to 17 Points

The difference in unemployment rates between men and women continues to widen in the south of Tenerife. This gap now stands at 17 percentage points, which is double what official figures showed ten years ago when it was just over 8 points.

According to the latest figures from the Canary Islands Employment Observatory (Obecan), 58.5% of people looking for work in the southern region are women, compared to 41.5% men. This means nearly six out of every ten people registered at employment offices are women.

Before the final numbers for the year are in, official data from December 1st shows that 16,915 people are seeking jobs across the twelve municipalities in the south and west of the island (from Candelaria to Santiago del Teide). Most of them are hoping to find work in the hospitality and retail sectors, respectively.

Across the South, more women are looking for work, except in Fasnia. Fasnia is one of only two municipalities where unemployment has risen in the past year, specifically by 11.86%. The other is Guía de Isora, though its increase is very small (0.18%).

Among the most populated areas, Granadilla de Abona saw the biggest drop in unemployment over the last 12 months (-5.29%). This was followed by Arona, which has the most registered residents in the southern region (-2.31%), and Adeje (-0.16%). For medium-sized municipalities, notable drops occurred in Candelaria (-9.33%), Santiago del Teide (-7.42%), Güímar (-6.69%), and San Miguel de Abona (-2.12%).

Figures from the Canary Islands Employment Observatory also show that smaller towns have seen fewer people looking for work (except Fasnia). This was especially true for Vilaflor de Chasna, the smallest municipality in the South and on Tenerife (-22.22%), and Arafo (-10.12%).

Arico also saw a decrease, though a more modest one (-2.15%).