Content with the tag: economía

The duality between temporary and permanent contracts conditions the labour market in Spain and causes differences in job security and income. What impact does this have on people’s redistribution preferences?

What is the economic impact of disability? This report shows that households with at least one member with disability present lower income levels.

Why does Spain present income inequality levels higher than the European average? Differences in income between age groups and the concentration of capital among the richest groups are some of the causes.   

An experimental analysis of the preferred tax rates for different types of taxes, across a variety of taxpayer income and inheritance assumptions, and taking into account people’s perception of their own position in income distribution.

Spain stands at the head of the countries of the EU-27 in the global computation of digital society indicators (connectivity, Internet use, etc). Portugal, however, is situated at the tail end.

How can the experience of the developed world help other regions of the planet that are in earlier phases of demographic transition?

The redistributive effect of social transfers is lower in Spain than in the EU-27.

The GDP in purchasing power standards allows a more exact comparison of the level of economic development between countries. 

Which sectors of the population were most affected by ERTES and EREs in 2020? This article analyses the effects that they had on Spain's labour market.

Globalisation and the rapid technological and digital transformation has resulted in two coexisting economic models: “turbo-capitalism”, which works with international logic, and “retro-capitalism”, which adopts the old logic of protectionist capitalism.

Individuals in low-income households are increasingly more likely to have no wealth or have debt. Between 2002 and 2017, the share of individuals living in households that had debt increased from 3% to 9%.

What personal factors determine the decision to evade taxes? This article shows that over half of the Spanish population shows little inclination towards fraud.

What were the consequences of the regularisation, in 2005, of 600,000 non-EU immigrants who were working in Spain? This study reveals that it did not lead to any “call effect”, but did lead to increased tax revenues.

Labour precarity among young people especially affects women. They occupy worse-paid positions with higher rates of temporary work than men.

Things are becoming increasingly difficult for tax evaders, with the new big data and artificial intelligence techniques that detect hidden wealth, the abuse of aggressive tax engineering and money laundering.

People have important misperceptions regarding the level of taxes that they pay. Does knowing more change what we think about redistribution?

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%.

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.    

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. 

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.

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.

What relationship exists between art and economics? We present two books that study the importance of creativity and innovation in the arts, as well as how art contributes to economic development.  

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?

By 2030, for every 100 people of working age there will be 40 who are economically dependent or at an inactive age. Will this proportion increase with time?

How many people work in the cultural sector? In 2015, the cultural sector employed 2.5% of the population of Spain. This figure is lower than the European average.

What is the impact of cultural activity on the economy? In 2014, services companies in Spain working in the cultural activity sector represented 3.73% of the total economy.

This article from the Social Observatory of "la Caixa" analyses the role played by education and income in people’s participation in cultural activities of different types.

In this interview with the Social Observatory of "la Caixa" Jen Snowball shares her reflections on the value created by the art and culture sector and the concept of “culturally sustainable development”.

The two books reviewed share concerns regarding the decline of the USA and show the problems facing the country. From different perspectives, both reach the same diagnosis regarding American society and the danger that threatens democracy.

In this interview granted to the Social Observatory of “la Caixa”, Hasan Bakhshi shares his reflections on the creative economy and on the value of culture as an element that generates wellbeing, wealth and social cohesion.

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.

From an economic viewpoint, innovation is considered to be an engine of growth because of its capacity to generate wealth and employment, a focus that has gained prominence since the start of the financial crisis in 2008. This review by the “la Caixa” Social Observatory comments on two books that analyse this issue from very different perspectives. 

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.

Historically, technology has transformed many professions. How will technological development affect future employment? The Social Observatory of “la Caixa” analyses the situation in Spain with regard to “risk of computerisation”.

Science is a very relevant activity in economic terms, which also has a very favourable social perception. However, Spain invests less in R&D than the rest of the European countries, confirming a gap between citizens' attitudes and the will of politicians and businesses.

On the global economic map drawn up by the financial crisis of 2008, the emerging countries are displacing the developed countries in the attracting of foreign investment in R&D. What factors influence this phenomenon and how does it affect countries such as Spain?

This indicator offers a view of the distribution of university research work between men and women. Women represent just 21% of chair professors.

What is the percentage of people employed in knowledge-intensive activities? In Spain, approximately a third of the population, slightly below the European average.

What are the possibilities for innovative ideas reaching the market in each country? In 2014, Sweden was the European Union country with the highest transfer of innovation to the market, whereas Portugal occupied the opposite position.

This index allows comparison of the level of innovation in different regions. Measuring variables such as infrastructures, business activity or tangible results, it shows that in Spain there is still much work to be done.

How much do countries invest in R&D? In more dynamic economies, the business sector is the major funder, whereas in Southern Europe, the governments lead investment.

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.

Forest fires are a recurring problem that destroy tens of thousands of hectares of woodland every year. In this article by the Social Observatory of “la Caixa”, we analyse sustainable solutions for the long term within a "green employment strategy". 

In this interview, John O’Hagan explains the numerous benefits that the arts bring to society, from their contribution to the formation of a collective identity to their positive impact on the economy.

"What purpose does science serve in current times? Is it for the common good or for the benefit of just a few? Science needs to learn humility and be prepared to admit it when a solution cannot be given.” Andrea Saltelli, researcher at the University of Bergen and at ICTA Barcelona, talks about the current crisis affecting science and its possible solutions.

The level of cultural participation in our country is similar to that of other European countries, with the exception of the Nordic countries. From a comparative perspective, this article by the Social Observatory of "la Caixa” analyses the effects of education level, age, income and some variables of the employment situation on attendance rates.

What diseases are caused by the pollutants that we release into the environment? Why do they affect children most? What repercussion do these illnesses have on health and the economy? We interview Leonardo Trasande, professor at New York University and an expert on the subject.

The level of satisfaction with life varies according to age groups. The younger population tends to show higher levels of satisfaction.

Michael Marmot, director de Instituto de Equidad y Salud del University College London, explica los mecanismos que vinculan la desigualdad social con una mala salud, así como las políticas que deberían ponerse en marcha para reducirlas.

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.

How can we ensure that biomedical research is aligned with social needs? This article from the Social Observatory of “la Caixa” analyses how resources could be assigned efficiently.

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.

How should migration within the European context be studied? These two books, from the standpoints of gender and rurality, tackle a phenomenon previously studied above all in urban contexts with male protagonists. With these new perspectives, the scientific view offers extra depth to an issue of recent social importance.

In this interview David Throsby, a specialist in the economics of art and culture, offers a global view of what the concepts of culture and art mean, including their value as well as the relationship that these disciplines have with the economy. 

Tackling growing inequality in income distribution and wealth is a social challenge that demands an innovative approach. Academic Anthony B. Atkinson proposes 15 actions that combine old policies with new instruments.

On average, men earn more than women for the same jobs. However, although the crisis reduced average salaries for everyone, the related growth in unemployment affected men more than women.

The higher the level of education, the bigger the salary? Effectively, in 2015, the earnings of people with higher education qualifications were, on average, nearly 38% higher than those of people who had only completed intermediate education.

Energy poverty is a growing phenomenon since the beginning of the crisis in 2008 and the highest incidence is found in certain socioeconomic groups. What are the consequences of this reality? What structural measures would be needed to tackle this problem?