The labor reform in the state of Alicante worked practically a miracle, because in just one year it went from 11% of permanent contracts to 47.5%, almost half of the total. However, this increase has been uneven depending on each sector. The percentage of construction was at the forefront of growth, as permanent contracts almost quintupled and not only due to changes in regulations, but also mainly due to labor shortages. offers workers better conditions to retain them. The increase in activities encouraged by the reforms and the projects encouraged by public administrations are other factors contributing to this departure. Services are at the forefront in absolute numbers, and seven out of ten permanent contracts belong to this sector..
The state closed last year with 272,268 permanent contracts, up from just 68,891 last year, according to data released by the Public State Employment Service (SEPE). that an increase highlights the effectiveness of labor reform in tackling temporary employment in the labor marketespecially in a region like Alicante that is heavily dependent on sectors of a seasonal nature such as tourism, toys or footwear.
In this growth, the evolution of construction stands out. Increased from 6,263 permanent contracts to 28,477 in 2021, of which 22,870 full-time, 2,958 part-time and 2,649 discontinuous constants. Javier Gisbert, president of the Alicante State Public Works Federation (FOPA), cites the reasons for this strong departure, primarily referring to the regulation change that terminated works and service contracts. . However, he also mentions another factor that has a decisive effect, such as the labor shortage problem affecting the sector.
According to the estimates; It is estimated that there is a shortage of around 10,000 construction workers in the province, leading to a real disagreement among companies about increasing the workforce. According to Gisbert, “companies are doing everything possible to retain employees, and one of the formulas for this, apart from salaries, is the duration of contracts, thus making this method more strongly contractual than ever”.
In a context where the mobility in the sector has increased exponentially. «City councils—he explains—and the Administration in general are doing more public works than ever to coincide with the approaching elections., to undertake pending projects. Renovations in buildings are also increasing and a lot due to the incoming European funds to undertake such actions. As a result, it’s a lot of work for a long time, so companies want to make sure, I insist, they have enough staff.
Jesualdo Ros, general secretary of the Real Estate Developers Association of the State of Alicante (Provia), underlines that there is a strong activity in the field of residential construction as well, and that the companies are doing everything they can. to count with minimal templates. “We are very concerned about the lack of manpower, so It is not surprising that the best possible conditions are offered» he claims.
Looking at the rest of the sectors, services grew from 48,210 permanent contracts in 2021 to 189,031 last year, with 62,604 full-time, 64,316 part-time and 62,111 intermittent permanents. Industry jumped from 10,172 to 30,415 with 14,426 full-time, 2,705 part-time and 13,284 intermittent permanent workers. Finally, agriculture increased from 4,246 to 24,345 with 1,180 full-time, 148 part-time and 23,017 permanent workers.
Agreement to attract foreign employees
Uncertain contracts are not enough to meet the need for construction workers, so the search for alternatives continues. FOPA president Javier Gisbert explains that they have contacted a company specializing in worker selection in Latin American countries to sign an agreement in which interested companies can participate. In Provia, on the other hand, efforts are being made to promote industrialization so that construction companies are increasingly working with prefabricated structures.