Unemployment in Spain has had its sharpest fall since 1999 when the euro was adopted.
Official government figures indicate that more than 253,000 people came out of registered unemployment from December 2013 to December 2014.
During December unemployment registrations also fell by 64,405. This was the second largest December decrease on record.
At the same time, the number of people registering as in work went up by 417,000 in 2014, the first annual increase since 2007. Total employment in the country now is 16.8 million.
Despite the welcome improvement, the rate (23.7%) remains the second largest in the eurozone after Greece, with Portugal trailing in third place.
Most of the jobs were found in the services sector, but unemployment rose in construction and manufacturing.
The Spanish economy, the fourth largest in the eurozone, has struggled with years of recession, but began to rally in the second half of 2013. The OECD predicts growth of 1.6% in 2015.
The government has introduced labour reforms to increase economic competitiveness and growth and to boost employment.
Comments
The wealthier, better educated, harder working Spanish Northern League, as in Italy - wanting to break away from their slovenly southern cousins.
Spain's south still being held back by the property crash. Italy's south held back by the Mafia taking one fifth of everything out of the economy. About equal to Portugal's GDP.
Portugal's north, south, east and west held back by the unresolved trauma of nearly a century of Salazarism. No 'Truth and Reconciliation' openness to somehow explain horrors that equalled those, for size and scale, as in South America.
Trauma's of equivalent recency to Portugal but still so strong that Brazil's President gets re-elected on the strength of 'I also suffered and I want answers'.
But still no answers in Portugal for those that suffered here.
Bravo Brussels for cracking down hard on the southern EU .... NOT!