The latest labor market data has once again exceeded expectations. and confirm a surprising trend: the Catalan and Spanish economies are holding their own in a cooling European context. In the Latest growth forecasts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) The international organization highlighted Spain as the only major economy that will improve by up to 2.5% in 2025. The Airef and theOECDHowever, they warn that the repercussions of Trump's policies—and the uncertainty they generate—could reduce this growth, but never below 2.3%.
In a context where major economies like Germany and France are expected to come to a standstill, the exceptional nature of the Spanish economy is beginning to become a constant. And the most recent information on our labor market indicates that these forecasts are not far off. We are seeing record figures not seen since 2008, the beginning of the financial crisis that brought us years of layoffs and precarious jobs. New jobs have been created, mainly in the hospitality and leisure industries—which tend to overuse temporary and fixed-term contracts—but all sectors are growing. Catalonia has had one of the best Easter campaigns on record, with almost 3.9 million active workers. And with unemployment at historic lows—despite remaining among the highest in the European Union.
However, this economic dynamism, with an active labor market and with less and less unemployment and temporary employment, contrasts with the X-ray of living conditions in CataloniaPoverty rates, despite improvements in the economy and the labor market, remain stagnant. Furthermore, one in four people in Catalonia lives at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and the child poverty it keeps growing.
Traditionally, finding a job was one of the main ways out of poverty. But in today's context, working no longer guarantees making ends meet or even a basic quality of life.working poor", and shows us how more than half of the families living in poverty They remain poor even if some of their members find work..
Working poverty speaks to us, on the one hand, of the precariousness of temporary contracts, unwanted part-time jobs, low wages, and a lack of stability. But it also speaks to an increasingly expensive life –More than 1,600 euros a month are needed to live decently in Barcelona.– above all, due to the cost of housing. Despite the increase in wages seen in recent years, they still lag far behind the rise in rents or the purchase and sale of free housing. And this situation particularly affects certain groups, such as young people, those with low educational qualifications, migrants, and families with dependent children, who are overrepresented in precarious jobs.
Thus, the wage and employment improvements are real and indicate a positive shift in the production model. But their translation into well-being is still partial and uneven. The purchasing power of wages has begun to recover, and a significant portion of the new jobs are of better quality. Everything indicates that something is moving in the right direction, that there is room for measures such as the ERTOs, the IMV (Mean Monthly Income Tax), and labor reform. But beyond improving these instruments, fairer taxation, universal public services, and bold investments in housing and childcare are needed. Because growth is not enough: we need to distribute more effectively to live better.
