Spain Slump With Record Jobless Pressures Rajoy’s Pickup

Spain’s struggle to escape from recession will intensify this week as data revealing the extent of its woes culminate in a renewed effort by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy to foster a recovery.

The Spanish premier pledged on April 17 to unveil measures this Friday to make the euro region’s fourth-largest economy more flexible and competitive. That announcement will end a week of reports ranging from a confirmation that Spain’s budget deficit widened last year, to an estimate of gross domestic product in the first quarter and data showing if unemployment reached another record.