The total number of people without work in Spain rose in August for the first time in five months as summer contracts in the tourism sector ended.

However, the figures do mask a longer-term trend suggesting the country’s labour crisis may be close to peaking.

Spanish unemployment spiralled to just over 20 percent of the working population in the second quarter, twice the euro zone average.

Unemployment in the badly hit construction sector rose almost 1.9 percent from a month ago.

Overall the jobless rate was up by 1.5 percent from July.

A total of 3.97 million Spaniards are registered as unemployed.

Agriculture was the only sector which gained jobs in August.

However the Economy Minister Elena Salgado said: “The situation is beginning to stabilise.” She added: “We are coming out of the crisis.”

The Madrid government is forecasting job creation by the end of the year.

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