The number of people out of work in Spain shows no sign of dropping, with almost one in four people unemployed, according to the latest government figures.

The recession-hit country's unemployment rate rose 0.19 percentage points in the second quarter on the previous three months to 24.63 per cent, the country's National Statistics Institute said.

The Institute said Friday that 53,500 people more joined the ranks of the unemployed between April and June, making for a total of 5.69 million people out of work.

The rate is the highest among the 17 nations using the euro currency.

Spain is battling to avoid having to seek a full-blown financial bailout as it struggles to emerge from its second recession in three years and strives to convince investors it can manage its finances.