Madrid, Oct 5 (IANS) The number of unemployed people in Spain reached over four million this September, the labour and immigration ministry said.

In September, there were 48,102 more ‘newly unemployed’ compared to August, out of a total of 4.17 million, Prensa Latina reported citing a ministry statement.

The number of jobless who registered with the state rose in one year to 308,316, an 8.3 percent year-on-year increase.

The Spanish economy is beginning to show some signs of improvement, but a prolonged period of sustained growth is needed to be able to appreciate a recovery in job generation, according to Maravillas Rojo, the general secretary of employment.