Glenn Wickman
EMPLOYMENT levels in Castellon Province have already returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Social Security figures show that there are currently 212 workers paying into the system more than there were in February 2020, and an extra 570 new jobs were created in the area in May alone.
Analysts point to the combination of three factors to explain the positive trend, namely the advancing vaccination campaign, a softening of restrictions, and the signing of the first summer contracts.
Predictions suggest that this year’s holiday campaign could see up to 50,000 more people employed in Castellon, albeit temporarily, thanks to the resurgence of the hospitality and tourism sectors plus coverage of employees of the ceramic tile trade who take time off.
Numbers of self-employed workers are also said to be on the rise, with more autonomos now on the books in the province than before the coronavirus outbreak.
Experts warn that, despite the positive trend, many sectors are still very badly affected by the crisis and it could take up to two years for Spain as a whole to recover pre-pandemic levels of employment and income.
However, those figures were not very good to start with, as the country was only just beginning to recover from the 2008 economic crisis.
The imminent arrival of the Next Generation EU funds is eagerly awaited as a perfect opportunity to revamp the Spanish job market, update ailing trades through digitalisation, and create new jobs in growing markets such as renewable energy production, among others.
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