Articles by subject area

Technology has played a key role in us continuing to work and study from home, but also in leisure and communication. We spent, on average, over 9 hours a day in front of screens. Does greater consumption mean more or less wellbeing?

Are mothers at a disadvantage when being considered for promotion at work? This study shows that they are not, providing that they have not taken options such as flexible or reduced working hours or teleworking.

The gender gap in employment prior to covid-19 stood at around 16.5%. This article assesses the impact of economic crises and analyses the evolution of female employment between 1980 and 2017.

“In-work poverty” has the greatest impact on women and young people, and this was the case before the covid-19 crisis. This article shows that between 2010 and 2014, the median wage fell by 5.2%.

How do families solve the problem of balancing work and family life when school finishes for the summer? Women bear the brunt in the labour sphere.

The increase in economic inequality in recent years in Spain translates into the richest 1% of the population obtaining a higher income than the poorest 50%. What lies behind this concentration of capital?

Is labour polarisation occurring in Europe? This study, prior to the covid-19 crisis, shows that in Spain, in barely 25 years, employment in higher-quality occupations has almost doubled. 

We analyse the relative influence of the family background and the skills of each person on social mobility. Are there differences between the Nordic countries and those in southern Europe such as Italy and Spain? 

The impact of the covid-19 crisis on the labour market is being more pronounced in the Mediterranean countries and is concentrated on workers with low salaries and in precarious jobs, as well as women and younger workers.

Healthcare spending is unequal: it increases with age and is higher among men than women. Furthermore, 5% of the population is responsible for 50% of total expenditure. We analyse the factors that explain this, within a pre-covid-19 scenario.

A lack of investment in innovation, major employment precarity and a lack of refresher training are obstacles for tackling the digitalisation of the Spanish economy. We analyse the causes.    

In Spain barely 3.3% of the total of social transfers in the year 2016 targeted children, against the European average of 9%. However, this study shows that it is the most effective way of eradicating poverty.

Despite the economic recovery, in 2018 three out of every ten children were living in a situation of anchored poverty. Poverty during childhood has consequences throughout life. We analyse its impact.

Two out of every three workers in manual occupations are men, and women continue to be a minority in occupations such as construction, and industry. What factors influence segregation by gender in the labour market?

Caring for children and dependent elderly people, cooking, cleaning the house… what economic value can we attribute to unpaid domestic tasks? We calculate what this invisible work would represent for Spain’s GDP. 

The most visible face of loneliness is the feeling of not having people to call on or trust in case of need. Who does it affect most? We analyse the influence of factors such as age and gender.  

According to this study, following new additions to the family only 4% of fathers requested reduced working hours, versus 37.7% of mothers. 

Stress, depression, insomnia, tension, feeling of uselessness… This article analyses how the mental health of workers was affected by the economic crisis and long-term unemployment.  

Behind rejection of the other, and xenophobia, lie factors such as the country’s macroeconomic evolution, individual economic vulnerability and worker exposure to job competition.

The welfare system in Spain has never paid great attention to housing. However, it is a key aspect and one that has repercussions in other dimensions such as health and education.

Employment precarity is an obstacle to accessing home ownership for young people. Rental, which is more expensive, or family solidarity are the main alternatives for setting up a home.

We evaluate the difficulties faced by young people in accessing an own home and what demographic effects this situation has.

Access to housing through renting is increasing in Spain although it is the least secure form of housing tenure on an economic, contractual and legal basis. We analyse which groups are the most affected.

Diet, leisure, housing conditions… do children who live in single-parent households suffer greater material deprivation? We analyse what influence income level and gender have.    

Does the phenomenon of the "working poor" spread? Among other effects of the economic crisis, temporary and part-time jobs have increased and wages have been reduced.

Are women worse at competing? This article shows that factors exist, of a cultural nature, that can explain part of the discrimination that women suffer in the jobs market.   

Does emigration always bring with it a dose of ambition? We analyse whether immigrants are more oriented toward success, risk, and money than their non-migrant compatriots.

Where and by whom do we prefer to be cared for when facing dependency? We analyse the role of the family and of public and private services as care providers.  

An experiment in gender discrimination confirms that, under equal conditions, women have 30% fewer probabilities of being invited to a job interview.

In which European countries is the work-family conflict greatest? What measures for reconciliation are most popular among men and women? We analyse company policies and satisfaction among families.

Will new-generation technologies substitute the most routine jobs? Discover the impact of automation on the world of work. 

Is living longer synonymous with good health? The following study compares, within the European context, life expectancy and happiness among men and women.

Spanish families changed significantly in the last two decades. To what point do socioeconomic factors or family structure influence children’s progress at school?

How does socioeconomic inequality affect the academic progress of students? Using recent data we analyse the case of Spain and how it compares with the rest of Europe.  

When the number of female breadwinner couples increases, the division of household chores should be more equitable. Is this really true or do women continue to shoulder a greater workload?

Ageing and the care of elderly people in rural areas pose a challenge and an opportunity for change: with an ever older and increasingly male population, men will have to become more involved in the caregiver role, traditionally associated with women.

A predominance of low-added value employment, lack of investment in innovation and precarious conditions for workers are distancing Spain from the knowledge economy. How can this situation be corrected?

Although the economic crisis has produced a generalised impoverishment of the different population segments in our country, the impact has been much greater among the poorer classes.

Who cares for the carers? This article by the Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” explains the changes that have taken place in the figure of the carer and also the importance of carers receiving care too.

Why is the number of elderly women who live alone continually increasing? The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” studies the causes of this phenomenon, which has important implications in the design of welfare policies.

The house we live in is closely related with our quality of life and health, especially during old age. In turn, the quality of our home will depend on the municipality in which it is located. At this intersection, we tackle the question of whether it is better to grow old in a village or a city.

What factors affect children’s health? At the Social Observatory of "la Caixa" we analyse how different vulnerabilities affect the physical and mental health of little ones.

What is the relationship between social background and quality of employment? We analyse whether, independently of education, family background is a conditioning factor in finding a good job and whether the crisis has influenced this situation.

A large difference exists between the productive activity of men and women, especially when the latter are mothers and devote considerable time to managing the household and caring for children and dependent elders.

Economic crises bring with them numerous political decisions that affect healthcare systems. In this article by the Social Observatory of “la Caixa”, we analyse the effects of the crisis on the reform of the long-term care system in European countries.

Numerous diagnoses exist relating to the increase in youth unemployment caused by the economic crisis. The article reflects on the effectiveness of policies generated according to these diagnoses and, especially, on the European Recommendation of the Youth Guarantee.

The economic crisis has affected the labour market for young people in Spain, especially for those with a low level of education. This situation needs to be reverted to avoid many under-30s ultimately suffering from exclusion.

Between the years 2007 and 2013, the difficulties faced in employment, housing and health worsened considerably in Spain. This article by the Social Observatory of "la Caixa” reflects on the problems that have intensified social exclusion which affects, above all, the younger population.

Has the protection of children and young people decreased over the last decade? In many European countries the child poverty rate is higher than the poverty rate among people aged over 64 years. This divergence is especially pronounced in Spain.

Today, thanks to policies aimed at reconciling working life and family life, increasing numbers of men are taking parental leave to be able to raise their newborn children. These new policies represent progress towards gender equality, but in Spain a significant difference still exists between men and women in the usage they make of parental leave entitlements.