Economically Active Population Survey. Q4/2023

The employed population in Catalonia grew by 5.6% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2023 and stood at 3,716,600 people. In absolute numbers, the year-over-year increase was 197,600 people. Compared with the third quarter of 2023, employed population remained stable.

By sector, comparing employment in year-over-year terms, the sectors that led the growth in the employed population were services (172,800 people; 6.5%), construction (27,800 people; 14.2%) and agriculture (2,600 people; 5.2%). By contrast, industry fell by 5,500 people (−0.9%). Compared with the previous quarter, the employed population grew in services (6,400 people; 0.2%), in construction (8,300 people; 3.8%) and in agriculture (5,900 people; 12.9%), while fell in industry (−20,400 people; −3.2%).

By sex, in year-over-year terms, employment grew more among men (6.3%) than among women (4.9%). Compared with the third quarter of the year, men's employment also grew (0.3%), while that of women decreased (−0.3%). By age, the strongest growth in employment compared with the previous year was among the population aged 16 to 24 (10.8%), a group that decreased by 5.4% compared with the previous quarter. The employed population aged 25 to 54 grew by 4.6% year-over-year and by 1.0% quarter-over-quarter. Finally, the employed population aged 55 and over increased by 7.6% year-over-year and decreased by 1.6% with respect to the third quarter of 2023.

By type of working day, in year-over-year terms, part-time employment (13.9%) grew more than full-time employment (4.4%). Among the employed population by type of contract, temporary contracts fell by 3.1%, while indefinite contracts rose by 7.1%.

The unemployment rate stood at 8.97%, with a total of 366,300 unemployed people (20,900 people less than the previous year, representing a decrease of 5.4%). By sex, men's unemployment decreased by 11.0% year-over-year (with an unemployment rate of 8.26%), but women's unemployment increased by 0.4% (with a rate of 9.74%). Compared with the previous quarter, the unemployed population increased by 20,900 (6.0%).

Regarding specific sectors, the population employed in the cultural sector stood at 186,200 people (5.0% of total employment) and increased by 10.9% year-over-year and 3.0% quarter-over-quarter. By sex, the culture sector employed 107,700 men and 78,500 women.

In the tourism sector, the employed population was 471,400 people, representing 12.7% of total employment. This figure represents a decrease of 8.3% compared to the third quarter of 2023 and increase of 3.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. By sex, this sector employed 268,300 men and 203,000 women.

The ICT sector employed 133,100 people in the fourth quarter of 2023 (7.6% more than a year ago and 6.7% more than the previous quarter) and accounted for 3.6% of total employment.