Press Release: Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS). Sub-sample variables. Year 2024.

Main results

30.9% of those employed worked in 2024 in companies with fewer than 10 workers, four tenths less than in the previous year. 15.8% of those employed did so in companies with 50 to 249 workers, the same percentage as in 2023.
A total of 417,400 employed persons, mostly women, worked part-time in order to have more time to care for dependents. This figure was 6.7% higher than in 2023.
The study specialty of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) presented the highest employment rate in 2024 (78.84%). Health and social services showed the lowest unemployment rate (7.48%).

More information

The average number of employed persons in 2024 was 21,653,900, an increase of 471,700 compared to 2023.

By establishment size, it is worth noting the increases of 8.3% in establishments of 250 workers or more (237,100 more people) and of 5.8% in those of 10 to 49 workers (265,000 more).

Employed persons by number of persons working in the establishment

(thousands of persons)

30.9% of those employed worked in companies with up to nine workers, a percentage four tenths lower than the previous year (31.3%). And 15.8% did so in companies with 50 to 249 workers, the same percentage as in 2023.

In contrast, in establishments with 10 to 49 workers, the percentage of employed people increased from 21.6% in 2023 to 22.4% in 2024. And in establishments with 250 or more employees, it stood at 14.3%, compared to 13.5% in 2023.

Type of job position

Seven of every 10 workers in Spain had a boss, but had no subordinates in 2024. On the other hand, 9.3% of those employed were self-employed (without a boss or subordinates); 6.6% were a manager, workshop manager, foreman or similar; 6.4% were middle-level managers; 6.3% were directors of small companies, departments or branches, and 0.6% 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.

Of particular note are the gender differences in percentages for managers of small companies, departments or branches (3.3 points) and for the self-employed (no bosses or subordinates) of 3.1 points.

Employed persons by type of job position and sex

Percentage

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Labour Intermediation and working conditions

The number of employees hired through a temporary employment agency (ETT) was 734,200 in 2024. It accounted for 4.0% of the total, compared to 4.3% in 2023.

On the other hand, 354,500 employees (1.9% of the total) obtained their employment through the assistance of a public employment office. This is the same percentage as in 2023.

83.6% of those employed did not work any days in their private home (84.8% in 2023), 7.8% did so more than half the days (7.1% in 2023), and 7.6% did so occasionally (7.0% in 2023).

32.8% of employed persons worked at least one Saturday per month, six tenths less than in 2023 (33.4%). As for Sunday, 21.0% of those employed worked at least one Sunday a month, a very similar percentage to 2023 (21.1%).

A total of 11.4% of employed persons worked on night shift (11.9% in 2023). 6.6% did so occasionally and 4.8% on more than half of the days they worked. The percentage of male night workers (13.7%) exceeded that of women (8.8%).

Dependence

A total of 417,400 employees worked part-time in order to have more time to care for dependents in 2024, which was 6.7% more than in the previous year.

The majority of those who worked part-time, in order to simultaneously work as caregivers were women (381,700, 2.4% more than in the previous year). Men were 35,700, 92.6% more than in 2023.

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, 55.5% had general training, basic training and personal skills, which correspond to people who have at most reached compulsory secondary education or baccalaureate.

The rest of the population had some specialty in 2024, highlighting the Business, Administration and Law studies sector (10.8%).

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 2024 (85.28%).

By gender, the highest activity rates in men were found in those specialising in ICT (86.62%). And in women, in those specialising in Mechanics, electronics and other technical training, industry and construction (82.91%, compared to 80.68% in 2023).

On the other hand, those people with General training, basic adult training and personal skills presented the lowest activity rates (46.02%). And in both men (54.16%) and women (38.02%).

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

Percentage

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The highest employment rate occurred in 2024 in people trained in ICT (78.84%). The lowest, in people with General training, basic adult training and personal skills (39.02%).

By gender, the female employment rate was higher than the male rate in Agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, forestry and veterinary medicine, in Mechanics, electronics and other technical training, industry and construction, and in Social sciences, journalism and documentation.

As for unemployment, the highest unemployment rate was registered among those people who had attended General training, basic adult training and personal skills (15.20%). And the lowest among those trained in Health and social services (7.48%).

In the majority of training sectors, the female unemployment rate was higher than the male, except in Agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, forestry and veterinary medicine, in Social sciences, journalism and documentation and in Arts, humanities and languages.

Unemployment rates by field of the highest level of education successfully completed

Percentage

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Data revisions and updates

The data published today are final. 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.