the spanish unemployment rate increased slightly in the first quarter of 2022 despite the easing of coronavirusrelated restrictions spains unemployment rate rose to 1365 in the first quarter from 1333 in the previous threemonth period spanish statistics office ine said thursday the rate is below the 1378 prepandemic level registered at the end of 2019 the number of unemployed people rose by 70900 in the first three months of 2022 to a total of 317 million while employment fell by 100200 people to 2008 million ine said spains unemployment rate has been declining steadily since the last quarter of 2020 at the height of the covid19 pandemic the country activated a shortterm program to pay part of the wages of workers put on furlough by their employers cushioning the hit to employment from the economic fallout