In the labour market, adapting to ICTs is key to creating jobs

Catalonia ended 2021 with an unemployment rate of 10.16 %, the lowest in the last 13 years, since the collapse of the economy due to the real estate crisis of 2008. Nevertheless, it is still a high proportion compared to the average of the other countries in the European Union and the Eurozone, which are 6.5 % and 7.2 %, respectively. Part of the explanation for this recurrent problem in the Catalan economy lies in the imbalance between labour supply and demand. Digital technologies play a key role in this imbalance, according to the results of the doctoral thesis L'equilibri en el mercat laboral. L'encaix entre l'oferta i la demanda de treball i entre la formació i les característiques de l'ocupació en l'era digital (Balance in the labour market. The alignment between labour supply and demand and between education and the characteristics of employment in the digital era), written by Pau Cortadas Guasch, a member of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). 

"The irruption of digital technologies has led to a significant change in the relationship between job supply and demand, which can generate imbalances and thus cause job losses (unfilled vacancies) or compatibility problems between education and the qualifications required for jobs", explained Cortadas. In other words, digital technologies are a factor in both job creation and job destruction, depending on how companies and individuals adapt to this new paradigm. 

"Having your own domain, using the internet to interact with consumers or the use of patents all have a positive effect on employment, but not as significantly as other structural variables of companies, such as the incorporation of technology in the relationship between producers or innovation in production processes, which explains why the incorporation of ICTs must be done not only as an instrument, but also as an organizational and structural change", warned the UOC faculty member. In his thesis, he concluded that, "Employment has been increased in those companies that have integrated digital technologies to a greater extent".

As far as workers are concerned, the author pointed out that, "Those who have held jobs with a medium or high level of ICT usage are more likely to be able to find new employment, either because of the experience accumulated in the past or because of the knowledge they are assumed to have, as opposed to accountants and administrative employees or elementary jobs and unskilled workers."

Imbalance between education and demand 

Pau Cortadas confirms in his thesis that education is a key factor in maintaining or finding new employment, and he highlights a direct connection between people's level of education and the greater probability of being employed. "I assumed that the more education you have, the more likely you are to have a job, which is what I observed, but the surprise was to discover that the job you get isn't necessarily related to your education," said the faculty member. "This means that there's an imbalance between companies' demand for employees and what the university system offers." He pointed out that, although this imbalance is occurring on a global scale, it is a major problem in Catalonia and Spain. He also stated that it is particularly prevalent in periods of economic recovery, with an abundant labour supply, and that it has a particularly high impact on some sectors, such as consumer services.

Cortadas' thesis aims to help companies and workers adapt to the new paradigm created by digital technologies, especially since COVID-19, which has contributed even more to the boost in digitization and has extended the option of teleworking. 

It is also in line with the UOC's commitment to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4 for Quality Education. 

Reference study

Cortadas Guasch, P. L'equilibri en el mercat laboral. L'encaix entre l'oferta i la demanda de treball i entre la formació i les característiques de l'ocupació en l'era digital. UOC. December 2021. 

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