MADRID - Employment
More women working
The activity rate which had fallen to very low levels during the recession, was higher than the national average in 2001 due, for the most part, to the increasing numbers of women entering the labour market. In the medium term, an increase in the activity rate is predicted, bearing in mind regional population trends and the rapid changes in society's attitude towards the role of women.
The numbers in vocational training are low compared to the national average, which can lead to imbalances between the skills offered by the workforce and the demands of companies, which are at present largely determined by the new technologies and new forms of production and management.
Job creation buoyant
There has been an increasing trend of the employment during the end of the 1990?s. Between 1996 and 2002, an increase of 578 300 persons took place in employment, representing an rise higher than the national average. Of the total population 70.1 % were of working age in 2000, i.e. between 15 and 65 years, and employment was about 2 318 200 in 2002 (+33.2 % between 1996 and 2002 which is one of the highest increase amongst the regions). The employment rate for this year was 62.8 % and was higher for men (76.3 %) than for women (49.8 %). Both male and female activity rates increased between 1990 and 2002.
In 1999, 23.6 % of the workforce was employed in the industrial sector and 75.5 % in the service sector which is the highest share amongst the regions. The share of the workforce employed in agriculture and forestry was the lowest amongst the regions with 0.9 %. The proportion of agricultural and industrial employment in the Madrid region in 2001 was lower than is the national, whilst employment in the services sector was higher. Another interesting feature is that the percentage of wage and salary earners as a proportion of total employment is the highest in Spain, also exceeding the figures for France and Italy and approaching those of Germany. On the other hand, due to the predominance of services in the economy, the ratio of full-time short-term workers to total wage and salary earners in the Madrid region is the lowest in Spain.
Unequal unemployment between males and females
The unemployment rate has been under the national average during the 1990?s but has followed the same trend: an important increase until the mid-1990?s and then a constant decline. In 2001, this rate was 9.8% in the region compared to 20.8% in 1995. Those most affected by unemployment are the least qualified (the young and people with a poor or inadequate vocational training ill-suited to new production methods). The gender factor is also decisive when considering the regional unemployment rate, since the unemployment rate for women was just under the double that of men in 2001, this gap having widened between 1993 and 2001. Unemployment affects construction the most and services the least.
High labour costs
In 1999, average wages per person employed in Madrid were the highest amongst the regions, being 27.2 % over the national average. For this year, the average earnings per person employed in agriculture, industry and services sectors were largely over the national average (+20 % for services, + 24% for industry and + 46% for agriculture).
Substantial income from property counterbalanced by a high tax burden
The Madrid region enjoys one of the highest household per capita disposable incomes in the country, although increases in recent years have been lower than the national average due to the high tax burden shouldered by this region, 8.4% of resources being set aside for the payment of taxes on income and wealth (24.8% if social security contributions are included), as opposed to 6.2% for Spain as a whole. At the same time, as might be expected of a developed region, the amount received in social security benefits is 70% that of contributions paid, whilst property and entrepreneurial income is much higher than the national average.
Thanks to an economy dominated by services and industry, wages and salaries and gross operating surplus make an important contribution to income, both of them exceeding the Spanish average.
If information is available, please add comments on the following subjects:
- Level and structure of income in different sectors
- Purchasing power
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