Quito is the city with the highest unemployment rate, according to figures from the INEC

Quito is one of the most affected cities by unemployment. According to the Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), unemployment in the capital in September 2015 was 5.2%, but in the same month this year unemployment rose to 8.7%.

Secretary of Productivity and Competitiveness of the Municipality of Quito Alvaro Maldonado explains that there are large industries in the city, such as the automotive, that after the economic recession dismissed a large part of its staff.

On Tuesday, during a press conference, the executive director of the INEC, Jose Rosero, was asked about the reasons why Quito records the highest rate of unemployment, and he answered that this negative figure does not mean that more layoffs occurred in the capital …

Other three cities where the unemployment rate increased between September 2015 and September 2016 are Guayaquil, Cuenca, and Ambato.

The INEC also states that adequate jobs were lost in various productive sectors in the country.

In the construction sector, employment dropped by 9.5% in September 2015 to 8.8% in September 2016.

While in the commercial area, the employment fell from 16.3% in September 2015 to 15.6% in September this year.

Patricio Alarcon, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Quito, believes that the excessive tax burden is one of the causes which led to a decrease in consumption.

According to the INEC, of every ten jobs, nine are generated by the private sector and one is generated by the public sector.