A regional analysis of employment, temporality, and education in times of crisis: economic policy recommendations

A distinctive feature of the Spanish labor market, compared to other European Union countries, is its high rate of temporary employment, which adds to the persistent issue of unemployment. According to various studies, the consequences of these crises do not affect all groups equally, as they depend on the degree of prior labor stability or instability (Arnal, Finkel, and Parra, 2013; Gálvez and Rodríguez, 2013). This study examines employment differences among Spain’s Autonomous Communities, considering the employed population, temporary employment, and educational level, all from a gender perspective. The aim is to contribute to the understanding of the factors explaining these labor inequalities by sex and across regions, as well as to assess the influence of educational level. Based on data from the Active Population Survey (2002–2022) of the Spanish National Institute of Statistics, this analysis uses statistical indicators to study correlations during two critical periods: the 2008 economic crisis and the Covid-19 crisis. Additionally, the impact of policies implemented during these periods on the studied variables is evaluated. The results show a negative correlation between temporary employment and occupation, as well as between educational level and temporary employment. In contrast, there is a positive correlation between occupation and educational level, suggesting that higher education increases the likelihood of employment. These findings shed light on labor inequalities and enable further analysis of regional and gender dynamics in the Spanish labor market.