The unemployment benefit is the equivalent of unemployment benefits for the self-employed. When a self-employed person is forced to close their business, they have the option of receiving a monthly amount calculated based on the regulatory base on which they have paid contributions. In Catalonia, 2,557 applications for this benefit were submitted in 2024, primarily from the retail and hospitality sectors. However, 60% of the applications were rejected, according to the report. Self-employment situation in Catalonia presented this Wednesday by the Catalan Labour, Economic and Social Council (CTESC). On the other hand, at the state level, the number of applications granted exceeds the number of unfavorable ones. According to this same study, in 2024 the number of self-employed people in Catalonia decreased by 6.6% compared to the previous year.

Yesterday he was the president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, who warned that housing could become a "burden" for the economic growth of Catalonia, and this Tuesday, the majority unions and employers' associations—through the Catalan Economic and Social Council (CTESC)—have compared this crisis to a "black hole" for the country's economy. The advisory body of the Generalitat (Catalan Government) has presented its socioeconomic and labor report for 2024, in which it places special emphasis on this issue. Its president, Ciriaco Hidalgo, who took office last April, insisted that if this housing shortage "has an impact on the well-being of families, it also has an impact on the economy."

For the first time since 2015, the number of self-employed in Catalonia grew last year. The reason: the covid crisis. The report Situation of self-employment in Catalonia 2020 presented this Thursday by the Labour, Economic and Social Council (CTESC) highlights that after four years of continuous fall, the year 2020 closed with 522,630 self-employed workers in Catalonia, which represents a slight increase over the previous year (1,127 people more), according to data from the Active Population Survey (EPA).