Spain unemployment hits record high 25 April 2013 Last updated at 08:14 Unemployment has risen once again in Spain to another new record. The total number of unemployed people in Spain has now passed the six million figure, edging the jobless rate just past 27%, according to official data. Although the rise was predicted, it is yet more confirmation that Spain's austerity-hit economy is struggling to emerge from an economic crisis, which began five years ago. Many now predict that Madrid will ease up on austerity measures. This is because there is a growing belief that more spending cuts and taxes could make the recession worse.