IANS

Madrid, Aug 6: The number of businesses and individuals filing for bankruptcy in Spain reached a record 3,285 in the first half of this year, or triple the figure in the same period in 2008.

Firms and the self-employed accounted for all but 515 of the filings, the National Statistics Institute (INE) said Wednesday.

By industry, 32.1 percent of the firms declaring bankruptcy in the second quarter were mainly involved in construction or real estate sales, while 24.9 percent were in industry and energy, and 17.3 percent operated in the retail sector.

Bankruptcies continued to affect small businesses, with 74.7 percent of companies seeking protection from creditors registered as limited liability corporations and 64.9 percent having annual revenues of less than 2 million euros.

Some 40.4 percent of the firms filing for bankruptcy had 10 to 49 employees on their payrolls.

Industrial production in Spain, meanwhile, fell 16.2 percent in June, compared to the same month last year, INE said.

June was the 14th consecutive month in which the indicator fell, with capital goods output plunging 24 percent; intermediate products declining 21.3 percent; energy falling 8.4 percent; and consumer goods production off 7 percent.