In the Alicante region, women represent a majority of those not active in the labor force, yet the gap has narrowed only slightly over the past decade. When it comes to permanent contracts, women remain underrepresented compared to men, and the gender imbalance in social security affiliations remains evident. Data show that more than 40,000 Alicante women are underrepresented in permanent hiring, and the share of women in full-time roles is less than half of the male full-time workforce. These numbers underscore ongoing gender disparities in labor participation and contract type through the latest period.
As of December 2023, the gender gap appeared in a higher number of unemployed women than men by tens of thousands. Women continue to bear a disproportionate share of household responsibilities, with a domestic work gap reported at over 83 percent. This highlights the persistent division of family duties and care work that affects women’s participation in paid employment.
Informe
These observations come from the Sociolaboral Report on Women in the Alicante province, produced by the union UGT with data sourced from public employment services and the Active Population Survey. The report was issued in conjunction with International Working Women’s Day and carries the motto “Objective equality: it is not just our concern. Shared responsibility.” (Source: Sociolaboral Report on Women in Alicante, UGT)
Another key finding examines the regional job market’s evolution over the last ten years. Since 2012, the female unemployment rate has fallen from 30.45% to 17.25%, a drop of 13.2 percentage points, signaling meaningful improvements in women’s outcomes in the labor market. (Source: UGT Sociolaboral Report)
Población activa
The report also analyzes Alicante’s active population, noting a gender gap where female participation lags behind male participation. Current figures show about 454,400 active women versus 524,400 active men. The largest gap occurred in 2014, with roughly 91,000 fewer active women than men. Since 2018 the disparity has gradually narrowed, but in 2023 the gap rose slightly by about 4,300 women becoming more active than before. (Source: Active Population Survey, Alicante)
Additionally, the report tracks the activity rate for women in Alicante, fluctuating between 50% and 55%, compared with 60% to 65% for men, indicating persistent differences in labor market participation. A 2013 baseline placed the female activity rate at 52.93%, rising to 53.12% by 2023, reflecting only a modest increase over a decade. The commentary suggests that expanding women’s participation requires targeted actions to close gender gaps and to view female employment as a lever for regional growth and productivity. (Source: Sociolaboral Report)
Paro registrado
The indicators also cover inactive women, unemployment rates, contracting trends, and social security affiliations. In 2020, male unemployment hovered around 17%, and by 2023 the female rate remained in the same range after a decade of decline, with the gap persisting monthly throughout the year. (Source: UGT Report)
In 2023, female unemployment exceeded male unemployment, reinforcing the ongoing gender gap in the labor market. The year’s trend underscores the need for policies that support women’s entry into the workforce with stable, full-time, permanent contracts on equal terms with men to advance true equality in the job market. (Source: UGT Sociolaboral Report)
Responding to these findings, UGT advocates for employment policies that boost women’s integration into work under high-quality conditions, with full-time contracts, permanent arrangements, and equal treatment with men to achieve real equality in the province’s labor landscape. (Source: UGT)
Negociación colectiva
The report calls for stronger collective bargaining on equality within collective agreements and equality plans, aligning negotiations with the legal framework for equality plans and pay equity. It also emphasizes the need for public resources to ensure compliance with these objectives. (Source: UGT Sociolaboral Report)
It also urges strict enforcement of equality plans as required by law, expands active employment policies with a gender perspective, and adopts positive action measures in general employment policies to eliminate discrimination and inequality. (Source: UGT)
Another demand is the adoption of gender-focused policies across all sectors, particularly in caregiving. It calls for dignifying the care sector, achieving full equal rights for domestic workers, and implementing truly shared responsibility policies. (Source: UGT)
Cuidados
The union also pushes for increased investment to ensure high-quality public services that are free and accessible for child care, elder care, dependents, or disabled individuals. (Source: UGT)
Additionally, it supports reducing work hours and reorganizing working time to provide greater flexibility for workers, including explicit rights to flexible hours and time banking as part of jornada adaptaciones y reducciones. (Source: UGT)
Finally, UGT calls for the establishment of a social dialogue table to transpose the European Directive on Salary Transparency into Spanish law well before the 2026 deadline, strengthening the principle of equal pay for work of equal value. (Source: UGT)