Economically Active Population Survey. Q4/2023

The employed population in Catalonia grew by 1.5% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2024 and stood at 3,855,900 people. In absolute numbers, the year-over-year increase was 55,200 people. Compared with the third quarter of 2024, employed population remained almost stable (−0.1%; −5,100 people).

By sector, comparing employment in year-over-year terms, the sectors that led the growth in the employed population were services (47,200 people; 1.6%) followed by industry (18,100 people; 2.9%) and construction (1,000 people; 0.4%). By contrast, agriculture decreased by 11,200 people (−19.8%). Compared to the previous quarter, the employed population grew in industry (7,700 people; 1.2%) and construction (6,100 people; 2.6%), while it fell in services (−19,100 people; −0.6%); in agriculture it remained practically stable (100 people; 0.2%).

By sex, in year-over-year terms, employment grew among men by 3.2%, while it decreased among women by 0.5%. Compared to the third quarter of the year, men's employment grew (0.7%), while that of women decreased (−1.1%). By age group, the strongest growth in employment compared to the previous year was among the population aged 55 and over (5.8%), a group that grew by 1.0% compared to the previous quarter. The employed population aged 16 to 24 increased by 1.1% year-over-year and decreased by 8.5% compared to the third quarter of 2024. Finally, the employed population aged 25 to 54 grew by 0.3% year-over-year and 0.5% with respect to the third quarter of 2024.

By type of working day, in year-over-year terms, part-time employment (6.4%) grew more than full-time employment (0.7%). Among the employed population by type of contract, temporary contracts fell by 14.0%, while indefinite contracts rose by 4.9%.

The unemployment rate stood at 7.87%, with a total of 329,300 unemployed people (54,000 people less than the previous year, representing a decrease of 14.1% and of 1,29 points in the unemployment rate). By sex, men's unemployment decreased by 18.0% year-over-year (with an unemployment rate of 6.93%), and women's unemployment decreased by 10.3% (with a rate of 8.94%). Compared with the previous quarter, the unemployed population increased by 44,600 people (−11.9%).

Regarding specific sectors, the population employed in the cultural sector stood at 193,700 people (5.0% of total employment) and increased by 2.9% year-over-year and decreased 4.8% quarter-over-quarter. By sex, the culture sector employed 105,700 men and 88,000 women.

In the tourism sector, the employed population was 543,300 people, representing 14.1% of total employment. This figure represents a decrease of 3.3% compared to the third quarter of 2024 and increase of 8.7% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. By sex, this sector employed 314,000 men and 229,300 women.

The ICT sector employed 160,500 people in the fourth quarter of 2024 (18.7% more than a year ago and 0.9% less than the previous quarter) and accounted for 4.2% of total employment.