MADRID (MarketWatch) -- Jobless claims in Spain rose by 128,242 in October, bringing the total number of unemployed to 4,833,521, a rise of 2.7%, according to official statistics released Monday. The October rise, though, is below that of a year ago, when claims rose by 134,182 and also marks the fifth consecutive month that has shown an improvement on an annual basis. Also for the month, 76% of the rise in jobless claims came from the services sector. Spain is suffering a severe economic downturn owing to the collapse of a decade-long housing bubble. Its jobless rate hit 25% in the third quarter.