"Today we are taking another step in the fight against job insecurity in our country." The Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday the transposition of a European regulation that will guarantee that workers have more "transparent" access to their working conditions. As the Minister of Labor, Yolanda Díaz, has explained, the rule will allow for combating precariousness by guaranteeing "adequate and immediate" access to the essential characteristics of the employment relationship.

The cost per hour worked in Spain rose by 4.8% in the second quarter compared to the same period in 2025, a rate six tenths lower than the previous quarter, according to the provisional data of the Harmonized Labor Cost Index (ICLA) published this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). With the rebound in the April-June 2026 period, labor costs have chained 20 quarters of year-on-year increases; that is, five consecutive years of increases.

"Artificial intelligence could be the greatest equalizer ever invented, or the worst source of inequality." Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates believes the potential impact of AI – benefits and pitfalls, in equal measure – is greatly underestimated. In a long essay published on his website, Gates Notes, the tech mogul and president of his namesake foundation has detailed the promises and dangers of a technology that, in his view, could dismantle the entire contemporary social structure. "The transition to the AI era will be one of the most turbulent periods in human history. And, as of now, we are not adequately prepared to face it," he asserts.

The salary gap between employers and workers in Catalonia has widened by 70% over the last four years, according to an analysis by the General Workers' Union (UGT) published this Wednesday. According to the data collected by the union – based on the survey of living conditions from the National Statistics Institute (INE) – employers in Catalonia earned an average of 36,301 net euros annually from their activity in 2025, while salaried employees received 24,108 euros annually during the same period. The difference of approximately 12,200 euros exceeds that recorded in 2021, when the average gap between the two groups was almost 7,200 euros.

The Volkswagen Group confirms its first major workforce reduction in Germany since its founding 89 years ago. After the automotive company announced its plans to reduce at least 100,000 jobs globally, all bad omens were confirmed this Tuesday, especially for the company's workers in the Germanic country. The company will dispense with approximately 50,000 employees in Germany, its main production center with a dozen plants and more than 250,000 workers.

During the last decade, the expected duration of women's working lives in Spain has increased by one year more than that of men. This progress has helped to reduce the existing gender gap, although they will still work on average 3.4 years less throughout their lives. Specifically, according to the latest data published by Eurostat, the expected duration of working life for those who started their careers in 2025 stands at 36.8 years on average in Spain: 38.5 years for men and 35.1 years for women. In 2016, the forecast was 35.1 years on average: 37.2 years for men and 32.8 years for women.

Employment in large companies and SMEs rose by 3.6% in the second quarter, and the pace of job creation accelerated slightly compared to the first quarter, according to data published by the Tax Agency. "Although it is impossible to determine with the aggregated information available, it is possible that part of the improvement is related to the regularization process of workers that began in April," the state agency pointed out. According to the report, the figure marks a rebound within the predominant trend throughout 2025, in which job creation stood at around 3%.

Unemployment falls sharply in Catalonia during the second quarter of the year. According to the active population survey (EPA) published this Tuesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the Catalan unemployment rate stands at 7.9%, after rising to 10.12% during the first quarter of the year. Thus, the statistic returns to the level of the fourth quarter of 2024, when unemployment hit lows. However, to find a better second quarter, we must go back to 2008. "All the data is good," assured the Secretary of Labor of the Government, Paco Ramos.

Green light for an agreement to end the negotiations on the employment regulation file (ERO) presented by Leche Pascual at its Gurb plant, in Osona. As reported by Col·lectiu Ronda —the cooperative of lawyers who advised the workers during the process—, on Friday night the staff voted favorably on an agreement to terminate the 86 jobs at the plant.

Key days for the future of the 86 workers who make up the Leche Pascual workforce in Gurb (Osona). After the Castilian company sealed the sale of the plant to the Catalan Casa Tarradellas, the dairy company's factory has been partially dismantled for months and the handover will take place on July 31. However, the workers' future remains uncertain: although there has been talk of an eventual incorporation into Casa Tarradellas, currently the buyer's offers do not convince the staff, as the conditions they propose are not precise enough. remains uncertain: while an eventual incorporation into Casa Tarradellas has been discussed, currently the buyer's offers do not convince the staff, as the conditions they propose are not precise enough.

The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has caused a real earthquake this week by advocating for a salary cut for those on sick leave. Spoiler alert: this already happens. In the case of common illnesses, such as the flu or back pain, for example, there is no benefit during the first three days; from the fourth day up to the 20th, the worker receives 60% paid by the company; from the 21st onwards, 75% is paid by Social Security. However, there may be modifications included in the collective agreement and other amounts or 100% may be paid, as is the case with maternity or paternity leave, which is paid by Social Security. When it is an accident or occupational illness, 75% is paid from the first day by the company.

The German automotive group Volkswagen reported this Thursday that it will reduce its production capacities by 25% to 9 million vehicles annually to adapt them to the global market situation and increased competition. The company, which has an installed capacity of 12 million vehicles, will also gradually reduce the supply of its car models by up to 50%, concentrating on the most attractive market segments. Currently, the group is configured with around 150 models, across all brands.

The president of the CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, has celebrated the “sensitivity” of the leader of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, to the “problem” of labor absenteeism. Garamendi has advocated for “sitting down and talking with everyone” to tackle what has become the main battleground for Spanish employers.

Catalan firms dedicated to the auditing sector in Catalonia have noted that the emergence of new technologies and artificial intelligence is making it difficult for them to attract talent, as the profile of the professionals they need has changed. According to the Catalonia Audit Barometer presented at the Auditorium Forum, 80.3% of companies in the sector consider attracting qualified professionals their main concern.

1,882 days, equivalent to five years and two months. This is the time a Catalan worker will have to wait before the trial for their dismissal begins. And it is not an isolated case: according to a report prepared by the UGT of Catalonia, among all dismissal cases that exceed six months of waiting – a time that the union considers "acceptable" for proceedings to begin – they are, on average, extended by 574 days, that is, one year and seven months. With the data from the study – which collects 1,499 cases – the UGT has denounced the delay that workers suffer once they initiate a lawsuit.

For a customer to enter a store and be served by an employee with an intellectual disability should be a completely natural situation. Today, unfortunately, it still isn't. To understand why, we need to change our perspective on what intellectual disability is.

"Our society has not had a serious debate on this topic." This is how Joan B. Casas, dean emeritus of the College of Economists of Catalonia (CEC), expressed himself regarding immigration and its impact on Catalonia. Casas is co-author of a new report presented this Tuesday at the CEC headquarters titled A Useful Migration Policy for Economic and Social Transformation, prepared by the group of experts Economists for Well-being, which outlines the shortcomings of migration policies in Spain and identifies specific solutions so that the arrival of foreign population helps to create an economy that works "for the benefit of the natives, those who have come, and those who may come in the future", in the words of Josep Reyner, another of the co-authors.

Kings League, the company founded by former Barça footballer Gerard Piqué that organizes streaming football tournaments, has filed a collective dismissal procedure (ERO) to lay off 41 of its 83 employees, as reported by the law firm Col·lectiu Ronda in a statement on behalf of the staff.

The Basque group Aernnova has sold one of the two company branches of Serra Soldadura at auction, the Barcelona industrial company it has owned since 2008 and for which it has filed for voluntary liquidation. According to the works councils of Serra Soldadura, the sale will only serve to safeguard 10 of the 190 jobs the company has.

Ficosa's management and unions seal a preliminary agreement to reduce the impact of the redundancy plan (ERO) announced a few weeks ago. The pact – which must be ratified this Friday by the workers – reduces the number of affected people compared to initial forecasts at the historic Viladecavalls plant: while the company initially planned to lay off 172 people, it has finally been agreed to reduce layoffs to 105. In addition, voluntary departures will be prioritized, so once the workforce accepts the conditions, interested workers will have two weeks to decide if they wish to join.