Each year a large number of workers in Spain experience depression linked to their jobs. The causes vary from unemployment while employed to the instability of temporary contracts and the challenge of securing preferred hours. This reality often leaves families with tighter budgets as the month comes to a close. A recent report from the Department of Labor, created to study how work conditions influence mental health, finds a strong link between work and emotional wellbeing.
The study describes the situation as troubling and notes that the workplace is a major source of depressive symptoms for many employees. Offices, stores, factories, and other work environments shape mood, energy, and outlook. Community leaders urge a national dialogue about how work is organized and how labor rules are written, including considerations around part time work, wage levels, and job stability. The focus is on practical policy options that protect mental health while supporting fair, productive work for everyone.
Two years after a political moment brought mental health into the public conversation, the ministry released its diagnostic assessment. The findings show that nearly half of all workers experience some level of job insecurity. Insecure conditions show up in many forms: highly skilled roles that feel precarious, temporary contracts, part time work with ambitions of full time hours, or engagement in informal or irregular employment. The reach of vulnerability spans sectors and contract types, and this insecurity ripples through families and communities, shaping daily life and long-term planning.
The impact touches millions, affecting around 8.1 million workers directly and a broader group when unemployment is included. Women, younger workers, people with diverse gender identities, and those with disabilities are especially affected. Including unemployment brings the total to about 11 million people exposed to insecure work. This widespread precariousness helps explain common stress and anxiety and aligns with patterns in health service demand and the need for social support across the country.
High levels of job insecurity help account for the use of anxiolytics and sleep aids in the population. The report notes that roughly 11 percent of adults report using sedatives, relaxants, or sleeping pills within a short period. Experts in labor and health argue that stronger job security is linked to a lower risk of depression and other mental health challenges. This underscores the importance of proactive conversations about how workplaces are organized and governed in modern society. The findings push for a broader discussion about new models of work and the evolution of employment contracts to shield workers from chronic stress and its health risks. The goal is a safer, healthier, and more stable work environment that benefits workers, families, and communities alike.