Once the strong impact of the pandemic was over, tourism once again became the flagship of Alicante’s economy. This is corroborated by Social Security membership data, which shows that the counties most closely linked to this sector are those that concentrated 70% of job creation in the province last year. In particular, Marina Alta, Marina Baixa and l’Alacantí registered 17,950 new workersin the increase, to which services in general also contribute, and to a lesser extent, in the fabric of work produced around new technologies. The opposite side of this dynamism is represented by the districts of l’Alcoià, El Comtat and Alto Vinalopó, which depend on industry and, in the latter case, agriculture; affiliates.
The state of Alicante closed 2022 with 702,158 Social Security affiliates, thanks to an increase of 25,198 recorded during the year. However, the regional distribution has been very uneven, as the latest figures published by the Valencian Institute of Statistics (IVE) show. The most striking fact is the main increases were recorded in areas located in coastal areas and, as a result, those most relevant to tourist activities.
Thus, l’Alacantí added 10,055 new connections, bringing the total figure to 247,931. This was followed by Marina Baixa, of which Benidorm is its home base, with an increase of 4,844 workers and a final balance of 62,344. Marina Alta registered 3,051 new establishments, resulting in 59,236 workers. The sum of these increases is what causes a 70 percent percentile in job creation across the province. with everything, Vega Baja region can be added to this groupWhere tourism is also a notable activity, with 4,170 new participations and 103,975.
Other Alicante regions that recorded an increase, although less relevant, were Medio Vinalopó with 980 new workers putting the overall figure at 47,501, and Baix Vinalopó, which combined 1,056 to 102,024. These are the two regions where footwear has a major economic impact, the industrial sector most hit by the covid crisis, so the evolution of Social Security institutions is closely linked to the gradual but slow recovery of those who have experienced this activity.
failures
On the contrary, There were three counties that experienced a slight decline in employment.. Thus, El Comtat lost 128 members during the year to stay at 10,107, while l’Alcoià dropped 30 to 37,830. These are two regions largely dependent on industry and, more specifically, on textiles, which have yet to recover their pre-pandemic occupancy figures due to issues such as the impact of energy costs. presentation of regulatory files. Alto Vinalopó, where industrial and agricultural activities are combined, lost 85 employees, bringing the total number of employees to 17,410.
In light of these data, Paloma Taltavull, professor of Applied Economic Analysis at the University of Alicante (UA), reaffirms the importance of tourism for the state’s economy as well as services in general. In his words, “all tertiary activities are performing well and this is seen in employment figures“To this we must add other sectors that are growing in a region that is formed as a result of good communication, especially the l’Alacantí. ecosystem,” he explains. This means that we are starting to take a step towards a more stable economy.”
The situation is very different in l’Alcoià and El ComtatThis plays against companies as there are more connectivity issues and no expectation that things will improve in the short to medium term, according to Taltavull. In the case of regions where footwear is the dominant industry, the UA professor points out that these are very dependent on exports, which he believes will tend to increase.
Nuria Montes, general secretary of the Hosbec tourism association, said:The sector, whatever one may say, is the real draw of the Valencian economy, as it additionally has the virtue of dragging other activities.“Montes wonders what employment in the state would have been without the tourism resurgence and points out that prospects for this year remain positive.
Fewer contracts due to drop in temporary employment
Hiring in the state of Alicante was reduced last year due to less seasonality. This comes as a report by CC OO reveals that 571,518 formalized contracts represent a decrease of 13,369 compared to 2021. Unemployment lists dropped significantly. The union attributes this fact to labor reform, which resulted in an increase in permanent contracts, rising from 11.8% in 2021 to 46.78% just one year later. For the union, this difference, in addition to a quantitative jump, “represents a qualitative improvement in hiring as the abuse of temporary employment begins to stall.”
Source: Informacion
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