Employment exclusion in Spain: a territorial approach

Abstract

Purpose This paper studies social inequality in the vital field of employment in Spain during the crisis period 2009-2014. Design/methodology/approach Factor analysis is used to build a synthetic index of employment exclusion. The starting information matrix collects data from a wide set of employment variables for all 17 Spanish autonomous communities and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Based on this information, four factors are extracted which explain employment exclusion in different situations of vulnerability, such as unemployment, temporality, poverty or low pay. Findings In the territorial ranking, Madrid, Basque Country, Aragon and Catalonia show the lowest risk of employment exclusion, whereas Ceuta, Andalusia, Extremadura and Canary Islands show the highest ones. Originality/value The main value of this research is that it confirms the need for coordination of public policies in order to foster social and territorial cohesion in Spain.