Spain | The labor market in the construction sector

Several indicators show that construction is facing a labor shortage problem. Moreover, the average age of workers has increased significantly in recent years and their level of training is relatively low. The sector must react in order to face a generational replacement sooner rather than later.

Key points

• Key points:
• The European Commission's Business and Consumer Survey points out that, since 2017, the relative lack of workers could be conditioning activity. In addition, the National Institute of Statistics, through the Quarterly Labor Cost Survey, points out that it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill job vacancies.
• Although the aging of the employed in Spain is generalized, it is more accentuated in construction. The average age of employees in the sector has risen from 37.3 years in 2007 to 45.1 in 2022, almost 8 years more than the aging of just over 4 years in the rest of the economy.
• The weight of foreign employees has increased in 2022, approaching levels similar to those of 2007: more than 20% of employees, compared to an average of 12% in the rest of the sectors.
• The level of education in construction is lower than the average for the rest of the economy. More than 60% of those employed in the sector have no professional or higher education, compared to an average of 40% for the rest of the sectors.
• Training must be a priority challenge, since the attraction of talent will be closely related to the possibilities offered to the labor supply.

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