The Spanish labor market has been grappling with a million-dollar question for two years: How many permanent, discontinuous workers are there? And how many of them are active or inactive?
The latest study by Fedea, titled “How many are discontinuous permanent workers?” provides valuable insights into this issue. Conducted by employment expert Florentino Felgueroso and researcher Marcel Jansen, the study estimates that there were 1.42 million employees with a discontinuous permanent contract in Spain at the end of 2022. This figure, based on microdata of Social Security affiliations, reflects the impact of the labor reform that expanded the scope of discontinuous permanent jobs.
One of the main challenges in providing an accurate answer to this question is the flaws in statistics. However, this study uses microdata histories of affiliation as its primary source, which is considered the most reliable source currently available. While further refinement is needed to ensure accuracy, these microdata offer a more comprehensive picture than other indicators used by the government to measure discontinuous permanent workers.
The study also addresses another critical issue: how many of these workers are active versus inactive. The numbers fluctuate depending on when they were measured. For instance, at different points in 2022, there were varying numbers of active and inactive discontinuous permanent workers, with a significant portion having another job registered with Social Security. However, one in four discontinuous permanent workers was moonlighting, whether they were active or inactive. These microdata provide valuable insights into their behavior and can help policymakers develop effective policies to address their challenges.
In conclusion, understanding the behavior of discontinuous permanent workers is crucial to addressing challenges such as job loss and access to benefits. This study highlights potential policy changes that could improve their situation and offers valuable insights into their behavior using accurate data and analysis.
Overall, accurate data and analysis are crucial in addressing the complexities of the Spanish labor market.
