The first quarter of 2023 closes with optimistic data in Maresme regarding the evolution of the labor market. Specifically, at the end of March the region increased its affiliations to Social Security by 3.1% and achieved in absolute terms the highest figure for this month since 2008. At the same time, the Maresme bordered on 12,000 companies after a growth of 0. 7% year-over-year.
This is extracted from the latest quarterly report on the labor market and business fabric prepared by the Study Office of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and published by the Maresme territorial authority. The number of companies (contribution accounts) in the region has increased by 0.7% at the end of March 2023 year-on-year, an evolution very similar to that of Catalonia as a whole (0.6%), close to 12,000. However, compared to the previous quarter, there was a slight decrease of 0.2% in the region (23 fewer companies).
By sectors, the business fabric has increased compared to the previous year in all sectors, except agriculture, which has remained stable; between 1.9% in construction and 0.4% in services. Depending on size, the number of companies has remained stable in the group with up to nine workers, and in the rest it has grown, with greater intensity as the size increases: 4.2% among those with 10 to 49 workers, 4.8% among those with 50 to 249 workers and 11.1% among 250 or more workers (27 to 30 companies).
The total number of jobs (Social Security affiliations according to the company headquarters in the general regime and in the special regime for self-employed workers) in the region has increased by 3.1% as of March 31, 2023 compared to a year ago, up to 141,170, the highest figure for this month since 2008 (beginning of the available series). This growth is very similar to that registered by the whole of Catalonia (3.3%). Depending on the type of affiliation scheme, there is an annual growth in affiliations among salaried employees (4.2%), while among the self-employed they decrease slightly (-0.3%), in line with the Catalan evolution (4. 0% salaried and -0.2% self-employed).
By large economic sectors, the number of self-employed has only increased slightly in services (0.1%), while in the rest it has decreased: 4.5% in agriculture, 2.2% in industry and 1.0% in construction. On the other hand, the number of wage earners has grown in all sectors compared to a year ago: 5.4% in the primary sector, 4.8% in services, 4.5% in construction and 1. 3% in the industry.
Regarding the size of the company, in line with the evolution of the business fabric, the number of employees has remained stable in micro-enterprises (up to 9 workers), and has increased in the rest: 5.5% in small ones (from 10 to 49 workers).
