The director of the Economic Studies Service of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain, during a conference sponsored by El Confidencial and Ibercaja, analyzed the current economic situation and forecasted an encouraging scenario for the year 2025. It is expected that the economy will continue to grow, although it will be necessary to restructure the sources of growth. However, obstacles derived from political and constitutional issues rather than economic ones are emerging.
One of the highlighted topics was productivity in Spain, which remains below the European average. The reduction of the working day was discussed as a possible solution, but there were warnings about the possible effects of heterogeneous tariffs, which could impact the Spanish economy differently.
It was pointed out that small and medium-sized enterprises, which represent more than 98% of the business fabric in Spain, could be the most affected as they have less margin to increase productivity in the face of a decrease in production due to the reduction of working hours.
Regarding employment, it was noted that although Spain shows good performance in this area, there are nuances to consider, especially in terms of competitiveness. Lack of confidence in the regulatory framework and discrepancies in taxation were identified as obstacles.
The issue of housing was also mentioned as an economic challenge to be addressed. The importance of collective bargaining in determining working hours was emphasized, and considerations were made regarding budget updates in a changing international context.
Despite the difficulties, moderate optimism regarding the economic situation was expressed, with an awareness of challenges to overcome in the future. The need for political conciliation to establish a common and homogeneous framework that favors economic development was emphasized.
