"224,568 unemployment benefits were processed in August 2020, showing increases of 1.3 percent compared to the previous month and 39 percent compared to August 2019", says the information released on 22 September by Social Security, indicating that the initial unemployment social benefit covered 10,881 beneficiaries, a figure that translates into a monthly decrease of 0.1 percent, but "almost doubling" compared to August last year.

The initial unemployment social benefit is granted to those who lose their job but do not meet the conditions to receive unemployment benefit.

Under the Covid-19 measures, the period for guaranteed access to initial unemployment benefit has been halved (90 days instead of 180 days). The period was reduced to 60 days in cases where unemployment occurred due to expiry of the fixed-term employment contract or termination of the employment contract at the initiative of the employer during the trial period.

The number of recipients of unemployment benefit was in August 193,313, reflecting a monthly increase of 0.6 percent and an increase of 43.2 percent compared to 134,955 one year earlier.

The beneficiaries of the subsequent social unemployment benefit (granted to those who exhausted their unemployment benefit) totalled 19,606, representing an increase of 10.9 percent in relation to July and a decrease of 2.3 percent in relation to the same period.

Despite the monthly worsening, the total number of recipients of unemployment benefits registered in August is lower than the 225,353 registered in May, this being the month with the highest register since the beginning of the year and especially since the impact of the pandemic began to be felt in the labour market.

The data also show that, compared to August 2019, there are still increases in benefits processed in all age groups, with the youngest standing out, with the group of 24 or younger rising by 153.6 percent; while between 25 and 34 years of age it rose by 82.8 percent.

In the 35-44 age group and the 45-54 age group, there were year-on-year increases of 40.6 percent and 29.7 percent respectively.

According to the same data, the extension of unemployment benefit reached 10 people in August, stabilising in comparison to July.

The extraordinary measure to support the long-term unemployed, which began to be processed in July 2016, reached 1,413 beneficiaries, slightly below the 1,444 registered in the previous month.

According to monthly statistics, the average value of unemployment benefits was 501.33 Euros in August, slightly lower than the 502.46 Euros in July and the 504.83 registered in the same month of the previous year.