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19 April 2024

Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS). Sub-sample variables

Year 2023

Main results

  • In 2023, 31.3% of the employed persons worked in companies with fewer than 10 workers, 1.7 points less than in the previous year. 15.8% of those employed did so in companies with 50 to 249 workers, four tenths more than in 2022. 
  • A total of 391,300 employed persons, mostly women, worked part-time in order to have more time to care for dependents. This figure was 3.5% higher than in 2022.
  • The study specialty of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) presented the highest employment rate in 2023 (79.33%). Mechanics, electronics, other technical training, industry and construction had the lowest unemployment rate (6.02%).

More information

The average number of employed persons in 2023 was 21,182,200, an increase of 634,700 compared to 2022.

Due to the size of the establishment or work centre, the number of employees increased in all modalities, except in companies with up to nine workers (-152,300 people). It is worth noting the increases in establishments from 50 to 249 workers (176,300 more people) and in those from 10 to 49 workers (48,800 more).

Employed persons by number of persons working in the establishment

Thousands of persons

The percentage of employed persons who worked in companies with up to nine workers decreased to 31.3%, from 33.0% the previous year. From 10 to 49 workers, it fell to 21.6%, from 22.1%, and in establishments with 250 or more workers it was 13.5%, compared to 13.8% in 2022.

In contrast, in establishments with 50 to 249 workers, the percentage of employed increased to 15.8%, from 15.4%.

Type of job position

Most of the workers in Spain had a boss but no subordinates. Nearly seven out of 10 workers were in that situation in 2023.

On the other hand, 9.0% were self-employed (without a boss or subordinates); 6.9% were middle-level managers; 6.6% were directors of small companies, departments or branches, and persons in charge; and 0.7% were directors of large or medium-sized companies.

By sex, the percentages of men were higher than those of women in all types of jobs; except in the case of employees (with bosses and without subordinates), where the percentage of women exceeded that of men by 10 points.

It is worth noting the differences in percentages between the sexes in self-employed (without bosses or subordinates), of 3.2 points, as well as directors of small companies, departments or branches, and persons in charge, of 2.9 and 2.5 points, respectively.

Employed persons by type of job position and sex

Percentage

Labour Intermediation and working conditions

The number of employees hired through a temporary employment agency (ETT) was 768,100 in 2023. It accounted for 4.3% of the total, compared to 3.8% in 2022.

On the other hand, 338,200 employees (1.9% of the total) obtained their employment through the assistance of a public employment office. This is the same percentage as in 2022.

A total of 85.2% of those employed did not work any days in their private home (85.3% in 2022), 7.1% did so more than half the days (7.5% in 2022), and 7.0% did so occasionally (6.2% in 2022).

A total of 33.4% of employed persons worked at least one Saturday per month, which is 1.1 points less than in 2022. As for Sunday, 4.1% of employed persons worked at least one Sunday a month, compared with 4.3% in 2022.

A total of 11.9% of employed persons worked on night shift (11.8% in 2022). 6.8% did so occasionally and 5.1% on more than half of the days they worked. The percentage of male night workers (14.3%) exceeded that of women (9.1%).

Dependence

A total of 391,300 employees worked part-time in order to have more time to care for dependents in 2023, which was 3.5% more than in the previous year.

The majority of those who worked part-time, in order to simultaneously work as caregivers were women (372,800, 6.6% more than in the previous year). Men were 18,500, 34.9% less than in 2022.

Persons who are employed part-time because they take care of dependent persons

Thousands of persons

Training

Considering the Spanish population aged 16 and over, 56.0% had general education and personal skills, which correspond to people who have at most reached compulsory secondary education or high school.

The rest of the population had some specialty in 2023, highlighting the Business, Administration and Law studies sector (10.9%).

Influence of training on the labour market

The population aged 16 and over trained in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) presented the highest employment rate in 2023 (87.44%).

By sex, the female activity rate was higher than the male in four of the categories of studies analysed. The highest rates in men were in those specialized in ICT with 89.15%, while in women they were in those specialized in Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing and veterinary, appreciating an increase of almost seven points in this specialty, compared to 2022 (86.54%, compared to 79.60%).

In contrast, people with general education and personal skills programs had the lowest activity rates, both in men and women, with 53.73% and 37.72%, respectively.

Activity rates by field of the highest level of education successfully completed and sex

Percentage

The highest employment rate occurred in 2023 in people trained in ICT (79.33%). The lowest, in people with general education and personal skills (38.24%).

By sex, the female employment rate was higher than the male in three sectors, especially in the Agriculture, livestock, forestry, fishing and veterinary and natural, chemistry, physics and mathematics sciences.

As for unemployment, the highest unemployment rate was registered among those persons who had attended general training and personal skills (16.35%). And the lowest among those trained in Mechanics, electronics, other technical training, industry and construction (6.02%).

In most training sectors, the female unemployment rate was higher than the male, except in three –highlighting the lower rate of women in the Arts, humanities and languages–.

Activity rates by field of the highest level of education successfully completed and sex

Percentage

Reviews and data updates

The data published today - both for 2023 and previous years - have been calculated according to the new population base of the 2021 census. All the results are available on INEBase.

Methodological note

The 2021 EAPS methodology, like the previous 2005 methodology, continues to consider the use of a subsample of the Survey, distributed throughout the year, in order to provide information on structural variables on an annual average. In particular, the Commission Execution Regulation (EU) 2019/2240 specifies the technical data of the data set, and Comission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/256, which establishes the different periodicities of the variables to be analysed.

The objective of these variables is to lessen the response workload of the EAPS, which had grown uninterruptedly with each of its methodological changes. The sub-sample used for these variables is that of households ending its collaboration with the EAPS each quarter of the year, that is, those that are in their sixth interview.

Type of survey:
annual continuous survey, for sub-sample variables.
Population scope:
population residing in family homes.
Geographical scope:
the whole national territory.
Reference period for the results:
the year.
Reference period of the information:
the week before the interview.
Sample size of the sub-sample:
The sub-sample has a lower number of records than the quarterly EAPS files. It consists of approximately 40,000 households. 
Sampling type:
two-stage sampling with stratification in the first stage units. The first stage units are the census tracts and the second stage units are the inhabited family dwellings.
Collection method: 
personal, telephone and computer-assisted web interviews.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and Code of Best Practices.

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