INTERES Invest in Spain

Labor Quality in Spain has grown by 9.6% during the 2001-2006 period according to the Manpower Professional study on Labor Quality.

The report drawn up by the research group “Anàlisi Quantitativa Regional” (AQR-IREA) from the University of Barcelona (UB) was presented by Jordi Suriñach, senior lecturer, co-director of the group and one of the authors of study and by Dolors Poblet, Managing Director of Manpower Professional.

“Quantitative growth in the Labor Quality index over the last few years demonstrates the fact that companies are including this concept in their daily management to improve profitability”, according to Dolors Poblet, Managing Director of Manpower Professional, a company specialized in the selection of executives and intermediate management posts.

The regions that had the highest Labor Quality index in 2006 were the Balearic Islands with a score of 130, La Rioja (119.98) and Catalonia (119.30). Castilla La Mancha (95.68), Andalusia (97.62) and Asturias (9.12) had the worst results.

As for the evolution of the index during the 2001-2006 period, Labor Quality has improved in all the regions but notably in Castilla y León (+21%), Extremadura (+19.43%) and La Rioja (+17%). The regions with the least growth are the Basque Country (3%), Madrid (5.88%) and Navarre (5.98%).

By economic activity sector “Financial Services for companies and Renting” is the sector with the highest quality employment with an index of 132.46. It is followed by the “Energy, Chemical, Rubber and Metal” sectors (126.5), “Machinery, Electrical and Transport Materials” sectors (117.6), “Public Administration, Education and Health Care” (116.74) and “Transport and Telecommunications” (110.61). All other sectors are below the national average. The last position is held by the “Construction” sector with an index of 98.24.

The study also measures the index of Labor Quality according to the professional category of the employees. Specifically, the report distinguishes between the following categories: “Executives and professionals”, “Technicians and qualified workers” and “Operators and unqualified workers”.

The former continue to have a much higher labor quality than the other two professional categories (122.79). In fact, there is a difference of nearly 15 points in comparison with “Technicians and qualified workers” (106.99) and of 18 points with “Operators and unqualified workers” (104.03).

By company size, the workers in large companies (13.15) have a higher Labor Quality index followed by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (105.22) and self employed workers (104.86).

The study concludes that factors such as “sex equality”, “inclusion and access to the labor market” and “diversity and non-discrimination” have grown strongly.