Editorial: La Vanguardia

• The Spanish stock market rose by 23% and 540,000 new jobs were created, achieving a record of 20.8 million workers in December 2023.
• Madrid led the rebound in employment, followed by Catalonia, Andalusia and the Valencian Community.
• A slowdown is expected in 2024 due to international economic weakness, but at least another 200,000 jobs are still predicted to be created.
• Despite the advances, Spain still has a high level of unemployment, with 2.7 million people seeking work.
• 40% of the new jobs created in 2023 were taken by foreigners.
• The creation of female employment, representing 55% of the total, stands out, and the challenge is to reduce the wage gap.
• The percentage of temporary contracts fell to 14%, but among those under 30 it remains at 22%.
• Despite the reduction in unemployment, increasing productivity to allow higher wages is another major challenge.

Conclusion: Although the Spanish economy has made great strides, there are still significant challenges ahead, such as the high unemployment rate, the gender wage gap, and the need to increase productivity.

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