CEPYME values ​​job creation, but remembers the difficulty companies have in finding workers

2024-07-26 11:13:52

CEPYME appreciates the job creation shown in the Active Population Survey (EPA) corresponding to the second quarter of this year, in accordance with the behavior of employment in this period, driven by tourism activity.

The Confederation highlights the good performance of the private sector, which created more than 427,000 jobs in this quarter, thanks mainly to the pressure of the services sector, with almost 208,000 new jobs. However, CEPYME highlights the activity of the public sector, which is responsible for a high percentage of the employment created in recent years, which is why it considers it necessary to encourage private activity, in order to consolidate the job creation rates of companies .

The number of people employed in the second quarter was over 21.6 million (434,700 more than in the first period of the year), with an increase rate of 2.05%, which is, however, a point less than what was registered in the first quarter. of the year, which shows a slowdown in the pace of job creation, especially during the summer, which is traditionally favorable for employment.

However, in this context of job creation, CEPYME draws attention to the difficulties companies still face in finding workers to meet their demands, a situation which is of particular concern to the Federation and which is contrary to the sustainability of the unemployment rate. that is more than 11% and makes our country the second country with the highest unemployment in the EU. In addition, this problem contrasts even more with the fact that the active population is increasing due to the increase in new job seekers who come to Spain in search of work.

In that sense, CEPYME argues that there is a need to reform public employment services, in order to improve their efficiency in connecting job demands and offers, services that are especially necessary for small and medium-sized companies.

Likewise, the Federation warns about the unequal behavior of the activity sectors in terms of job creation, and the evolution in agriculture is of particular concern, where the number of employed people was reduced by 4,300 in an interannual rate (772,000 compared to 776,300). in the second quarter of 2023), maintaining the trend of the loss of employed people registered by the sector from 2021 and placing it at the levels of 2016 (760,200 employees). This situation is an indication of the increase in costs of all kinds, including labor costs, which particularly affects this sector and makes its activities difficult.

Regarding the behavior of employment in the coming quarter, the Confederation of SMEs expresses its concern about the impact of the slowdown in Europe and internationally on the economy and Spanish companies, which could have a greater impact on SMEs of Spain, more. weaker than their European counterparts, due to a situation where costs continue to rise and productivity decline which, after five consecutive quarters of year-on-year decline, is 2.8% lower than the pre-pandemic period.

Finally, CEPYME insists on the need to reduce legal uncertainty, and to generate a stable framework that encourages productive activity, avoiding measures that exceed the necessary business flexibility and involve new increases in costs and obstacles to the management of companies, especially heavy in the case. of SMEs.