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Twice as many young people among Spain’s poorest population, following a 40% drop in their employment prospects since 2007

The Ivie presents the study "Oportunidades de empleo y renta en España 2007-2016", undertaken in collaboration with the Ramón Areces Foundation

Recent economic growth has brought about a return to pre-crisis per capita income levels and has significantly reduced unemployment levels. However, the current economic situation contrasts starkly with that of 2007. In general, the crisis in Spain has resulted in a population shift from the higher income groups towards more vulnerable groups. The upper-middle class has shrunk by 19%, while those living in poverty have increased 22%. These figures are even more alarming among young people under the age of 30, a group which has doubled in size among the population with fewer material resources. The percentage of young people in the lower-income group of the population rose from 21.31% in 2007 to 45.7% in 2016, while their share in the upper-middle class fell from 16.5% to 4.8% during the same period.

The report Oportunidades de empleo y renta en España 2007-2016, developed jointly by the Ramón Areces Foundation and the Ivie, analyzes the impact of the crisis on employment and income, and their evolution during the first years of the economic recovery. The analysis was carried out from a new perspective that attempts to estimate how employment and income opportunities have varied across social groups according to age and region. The authors of the study, Ivie researchers, Carmen Herrero and Antonio Villar, and the economist Ángel Soler, highlight the serious consequences of the crisis for the younger population, a group which is recovering at a slower pace than the adult population.