Business Climate Survey. Section on the Current Entrepreneurial Situation. Q3/2023

In the third quarter of 2023, 32.3% of businesses in Catalonia stated that the 2022 labour reform, contained in Royal Decree Law 32/2021, of 28 December, has affected the hiring policy of their business since it came into force: 23.1% negatively and 9.2% positively. On the other hand, 54.7% of establishments stated that they were not affected and the remaining 13% did not know or did not answer.

By activity, accommodation and food service activities is the sector most affected by the labour reform, with 56.7% of establishments (40.1% negatively and 16.6% positively). At the other extreme is trade, where 66.2% of establishments stated that they have not been affected by the labour reform. In terms of size of establishment, the most affected are those with 50 or more employees, where 45.9% said they have been affected (31.4% negatively and 14.5% positively). At the other extreme are establishments with fewer than 10 employees, of which only 18.2% said they have been affected by the reform (14.3% negatively and 3.9% positively).

The main impact that the labour reform has had on hiring since it came into force has been the increase in permanent contracts (41.0%), followed by the increase in permanent discontinuous contracts (21.6%).

36.0% of the businesses stated that they have had problems filling a job during 2023, a percentage that rises to 55.1% in the case of accommodation and food service activities. In terms of the businesses affected, the main difficulty encountered was a lack of candidates (81.5%), followed by insufficient specific technical skills for the job (52.2%) and a mismatch in the level of training (overqualification or underqualification).