Job prospects for the coming months are positive, despite the fact that the latest indicators indicate that the Spanish economy is showing a less intense rate of recovery than expected.
This is reflected in ManpowerGroup’s quarterly Q1 study on employment projection, which indicates that the contracting forecasts for the beginning of the year, with an average net employment forecast of +33%, consolidate a positive trend, after the momentum of the previous quarter. In addition, eight out of 10 managers plan to maintain (36%) or expand (47%) their teams.
Is growth forecast extends, albeit unevenly, to all sectors, with technology (+50%) in the lead. In addition, the momentum is endorsed by sectors of great importance to the Spanish labor market such as construction (+48%), commerce (+39%) and hospitality (+35%).
These figures reflect the stabilization of construction -which came from +50% in the last quarter- and growth with respect to the previous period of 18 points for commerce and 8 for hospitality, showing the progressive recovery of both sectors.
The good forecasts in the hospitality sector, which includes accommodation and catering, represent a relevant milestone, since it is one of the industries that has suffered the most from the pandemic crisis and, at the same time, is one of the most relevant for the country’s economy and employment. Therefore, this data can be taken as a clear symptom of recovery and fuels optimism for the start of 2022.
“There are sectors that are beginning to generate significant employment opportunities and we must be prepared, as a country, to take advantage of them. The technology sector is the best example and we have to be able to train the professionals that companies are looking for”, points out Francisco Ribeiro, country manager of ManpowerGroup Spain. “The results for the beginning of 2022 consolidate, in a general way, the upward trend in hiring intention. We positively value that the pandemic effects on the employment market are being reversed and that sectors that are important for the economy and employment in Spain, such as commerce, hospitality or construction, show signs of recovery”.
financial activities
Together with the good prospects presented by construction, a notable growth of 12 points is seen in another sector that is closely related to it, that of financial activities (banking, insurance and real estate), which presents an average net employment forecast of + 3. 4%.
For its part, the manufacturing industry, after a strong end of the year (+47%), it fell to +26%. Although half of the companies plan to hire, another quarter calculates that it will destroy employment. All this shows the uncertainty faced by an industry that is directly affected by the shortage of certain supplies in international markets.
The education, health and public services sector presents hiring prospects of +27%; the rest of the services sector stands at a forecast average net employment of +36% and the rest of industry at +25%; and, as a novelty, the Study has begun to monitor the forecasts of the Third Sector, which presents forecasts of +15.6%. The primary sector, with timid forecasts of +3%, is the one with the worst prospects, derived from the seasonality of its activity.
