Spain's unemployment rate falls to lowest since 2008

By Joao Manuel Vicente Mauricio

(Reuters) -Spain's unemployment rate in the fourth quarter fell to its lowest in more than 16 years, data from the National Statistics Institute showed on Tuesday, as the economy outperforms its neighbours.

The unemployment rate fell to 10.61%, down from 11.21% in the previous quarter and the lowest level since the second quarter of 2008, when it stood at 10.36%, said INE.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast Spain's unemployment rate would fall to 11.10%.

Spain added 468,000 net jobs in the year. More than 90% of these were in services, INE said, as the tourism industry boomed.

The Economy Ministry is set on Tuesday to raise its gross domestic product growth target for this year above 2.5%, Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said on Monday, in stark contrast with weak growth in other large euro zone economies. France and Germany have recently lowered their growth forecasts.

(Reporting by Joao Manuel Mauricio in Gdansk, editing by Inti Landauro)