AlHijjah 7, 1432, Nov 3, 2011, SPA -- The number of people in Spain filing for unemployment benefits rose by more than 134,000 last month, the government reported Thursday, further reflecting the sad state of the euro-zone's fourth largest economy, AP reported. The increase raised the total seeking benefits to 4,360,926 and marked a 3.2 percent increase from September, the Labor Ministry said. October is often bad for employment in Spain as it is the first month after the summer vacation season, when the tourism sector does a lot of hiring. But this October's rise was the biggest for such a month since 2008. It was also the latest in a string of discouraging statistics that are almost certain to rattle investor confidence. The country's borrowing costs have soared over the past year because of those jitters and fears Spain might be the next country to need a bailout, after Greece, Ireland and neighboring Portugal.
