Cecot warns: "The lack of qualified personnel is a risk to the welfare state and growth"

BarcelonaThe lack of talent and qualified personnel to fill job vacancies is not only a problem for companies, but also affects economic growth. The employers' association of the Vallès region, Cecot, has issued this warning and raised the issue in a report entitled Towards a sustainable labor market 38 proposals to address the problem, which has various facets, ranging from demographics to changes in the labor market. Among the proposals are aligning school hours with work schedules, promoting active and reversible retirement, and further encouraging teleworking, among others aimed at attracting more talent to companies.

This organization, part of Foment el Treball, asserts that currently 62% of Spanish SMEs are having difficulty finding qualified personnel, "a situation that has become one of the main bottlenecks to economic growth." According to Cecot's president, Xavier Panés, "the talent crisis is not a temporary problem nor exclusive to companies: it is a structural challenge that jeopardizes the competitiveness and continuity of our welfare state model." And he warned, based on data analysis, that "with fewer people of working age and a larger dependent population, the numbers don't add up if we don't act with a long-term perspective." Panés has been clear: "Today, the number of people entering retirement annually is already higher than the number of 25-year-olds entering the labor market, and this trend will only intensify in the coming years." He then presented the data: currently, the dependency ratio—which measures the proportion of the population over 65 compared to the working-age population (25-64 years)—stands at 36%. This means that for every retiree, there are 2.6 people of working age. "Projections indicate that this ratio could reach 61% by 2050, with only 1.6 working-age people per retiree, which seriously compromises the sustainability of the economic and social system," he warned.

The Cecot report includes 38 proposed solutions addressing areas such as retirement age, immigration, training, digitalization, birth rate, entrepreneurship, and work organization, with measures such as promoting active retirement, regulating migration flows according to labor market needs, a school pact, and the professionalization of talent management in companies. The report presented by this employers' association analyzes the impact of various demographic, social, and labor factors, such as low birth rates, population aging and retirement age, migration flows, the functioning of the labor market, the organization of working time, and the changing work values ​​between generations. Panés emphasizes that "there are no magic or single solutions: the talent crisis is multifactorial and can only be addressed with a combination of coordinated and sustained measures." In any case, he assures that "it's not a catastrophic message, it's a responsible warning: if we don't act now, the social and economic cost will be much higher." Catalonia currently has over 8.16 million inhabitants, with a year-on-year growth of 1.3% driven mainly by immigration. Meanwhile, the working-age population is growing at a slower pace and is progressively aging. Currently, more than 2 million people born abroad live in Catalonia, almost one in four. Despite the dynamism of the labor market—with 3.94 million people employed and a year-on-year growth of over 3.6%—youth unemployment stands at 18.1%, well above the European average. Furthermore, almost one in five residents is over 65, and projections point to a scenario with one retiree for every two working-age people by 2040.

The report highlights immigration as the main demographic driver of the welfare state, in contrast to the sustained decline in the birth rate, and emphasizes the need for integration and training policies aligned with the real needs of the labor market. It also analyzes various dysfunctions in work organization, such as involuntary part-time work, the low adoption of teleworking compared to other European countries, and the high volume of overtime—6.6 million hours per week outside of regular working hours, many of them uncompensated. These, it adds, are factors that directly impact work-life balance, employee well-being, and the ability to attract and retain talent.

Generational Paradigm Shift

At the same time, a generational paradigm shift is evident, with young people prioritizing flexibility, well-being, and professional purpose. This new mindset is forcing companies to adapt their organizational and talent management models in an environment of intense competition for qualified professionals. Cecot summarizes the current situation in seven variables:

PopulationIt is growing due to immigration, but with a slow increase in the working population and accelerated aging, which puts pressure on the pension system and the labor market.

Birth rate. Birth and fertility rates are very low, which compromises generational replacement and reduces the future working population.

Immigration. It is the main driver of population growth and represents 25% of the population in Catalonia. It strengthens the available workforce and is essential to offset the low birth rate and the rapidly aging population.

Labor market. Employment is growing, but imbalances persist, such as very high youth unemployment.

Aging and retirementThere are fewer and fewer workers per retiree. The sustainability of the pension system is at risk. Pressure is increasing to extend working life.

Work organizationThere is a lot of unintentional bias, especially among women. Teleworking is not widely adopted. Many professionals work more than 40 hours.

Work values ​​according to generationsYoung people prioritize flexibility, well-being, and purpose, not just stability. Companies must adapt to this if they want to attract talent. Managing multigenerational talent is key to competitiveness. Cecot calls for an open debate and shared action among companies, government agencies, and social partners. The organization's Secretary General, Oriol Alba, emphasized that "it's not about finding someone to blame, but about moving from diagnosis to action with public policies, new labor models, and business strategies adapted to a labor market undergoing profound transformation."