In absolute terms, the number of jobs in the industry sector has increased, reaching its highest number in 2023 (since 2010), with 2.8 million jobs.
However, the industry sector represents a small and declining share of the total jobs in the Spanish economy. In 2023, that share reached the lowest levels observed in the past decade (13.3 percent), approximately 0.5 percentage points lower than the average of the five years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (2014–19).
Subindicators
Each subindicator’s progress is calculated keeping the current growth trajectory. The umbrella indicator takes the results of the two subindicators in equal proportion. If either of the two indicators is lagging, the overall result will be lagging. Both indicators need to be leading to generate an overall leading result for the industry employment indicator.
This employment analysis is primary based on historical data, disregarding the influence of other trends, such as demographic or technological and innovation trends
The most recent data point is 2.8 million jobs, based on INE data. To assess progress, a linear curve replicating the trend registered in the 2012–17 period (or the only years with positive evolution of the industry’s share in the economy) is drawn up to 2030.1 To that curve, a standard deviation (based on the same historical data) is removed or added to create an on-track range. As the most recent progress is within that range, the indicator is on track.
1 Base horizon/standard deviation for our analysis is 2014–19; in this case we considered a wider sample to account for both positive and negative economic cycles, which deeply affect employability; “Labor force survey, average of the four quarters of the year, employed by nationality, sex, and economic sector,” Instituto Nacional de Estadística (National Institute of Statistics), August 2024.
