Understanding Spain's Workforce, Immigration, and Murcia's Population

T14 5.1 Workforce

The workforce consists of the active population, including employed adults and those unemployed or seeking their first job. In Spain, this represents the active population, but only about 58% of the total population.

Employed active population accounts for over 58% of the total population.

Three Main Sectors:

1. Primary Sector: Employs a small percentage of the workforce (4.8%) and continues to decline.
2. Secondary Sector: While it created jobs, the workforce has decreased (29.6%). Some administrative roles have moved to other countries.
3. Tertiary Sector: Employs a large portion of the Spanish population and has diversified in recent years.

Unemployment rates in Spain are high due to a greater demand for work than job creation. In 1994, unemployment reached 23.9% of the working population, a major problem. Since then, job creation has been a priority.

T14 7.1 Immigration

Since the 1990s, Spain has become a major recipient of immigration. Only a few EU countries received more immigrants than Spain. The foreign population accounts for 10.8% of the total population (4.8 million). Approximately 8 out of 10 immigrants are foreigners.

Origin and Composition of Immigration

Immigrants arriving in Spain today can be classified into three main groups:

• Retired Individuals: Seeking a quiet place to live, they settle on the coast and in urban locations with good services, primarily from Northern Europe.
• High-Wage Professionals and Artists: Arriving from other European countries, they live temporarily in Spain and often have their own residences. This group also includes students.
• Political Refugees: People persecuted for ethnic or religious reasons.
• Economic Migrants: Coming from developing countries, they seek work and a more dignified life. Some arrive legally, while others risk their lives to reach the country.

T14. 7.2 Positive Factors of Immigration

Immigration has several positive factors for Spain:

• Demographic Impact: Immigration has been instrumental in increasing Spain's population, particularly between 2004 and 2005.
• Social Security Contributions: Immigrant workers contribute to the payment of retirement pensions.
• Labor Supply: Immigration provides a source of cheap labor, especially in agriculture, restaurants, and construction.

T14. 7.3 Spanish Society and Immigration

The large influx of immigrants can sometimes awaken feelings of unease among the host population. It is important that immigrants respect the laws of the host country, and these laws must be applied to them.

T14. 8.1 Population Distribution in Murcia

The most populated areas of the Region of Murcia are in the Guadalentín Valley, Cartagena, and the Vega Media del Segura (Safe Valley).

The least populated areas are in the interior mountain communities, the northwest plateau, and the Jumilla and Yecla-Lorca fields.

T14. 8.2 Characteristics of the Population of Murcia

The Region of Murcia has a high vegetative growth rate due to:

• A high birth rate and a low mortality rate.
• Immigration. There are over 200,000 foreigners in Murcia, primarily from South America, Africa, and Europe, including Sub-Saharan Africa.