The growth of the service sector in the Canary Islands
The service sector in the Canary Islands is a fundamental pillar for generating employment in the region. According to EPA data, this sector represents 85.9% of jobs in the Canary Islands, which demonstrates its importance in the local economy. In the last 15 years, the services sector has experienced significant growth, gaining 4.4% in the overall labor market. In contrast, construction, industry and agriculture have lost weight in terms of employment, employing 13%, 5.1% and 2% of workers, respectively.
The impact on employment by sector
Compared to 2009, employment in construction in the Canary Islands has decreased by 2.9%, in industry by 1.1% and in agriculture by 0.8%. These data reflect a long-term trend in which the services sector has gained relative weight in all the autonomous communities of Spain. Catalonia and Navarra are two of the regions where this growth has been most notable, at the expense of construction, industry and agriculture.
The change in the distribution of employment
If we compare the most recent employment data by sector with those from 15 years ago, we observe an increase of 6.2% in the relative weight of the services sector in the labor market at the national level. In contrast, construction has experienced a drop of 3.6%, industry 1.9% and agriculture 0.8%. Currently, the services sector represents 76.4% of jobs in Spain, while industry has decreased to 13.3%, construction to 6.7% and agriculture to 3.6%.
The impact on the autonomous communities
The services sector has gained weight in all autonomous communities in recent years. In the Canary Islands, it represents 85.9% of employed people, while in Madrid and the Balearic Islands it represents 84.7% and 79.6% respectively. On the other hand, La Rioja, Navarra and Aragón are the communities with the least weight in the services sector, with 61.0%, 65% and 68.4% respectively.
The importance of industry and agriculture
Although the services sector is the main generator of employment in the Canary Islands, industry and agriculture also play an important role. The industry has improved slightly in Aragon and Asturias, but has decreased in Catalonia, Navarra and the Basque Country. As for agriculture, it has only gained relative importance in La Rioja, Aragón and Murcia, while it has decreased in Extremadura and Cantabria.
Conclusions
In summary, the service sector in the Canary Islands is a key driver of employment in the region. It has experienced significant growth in recent years, while construction, industry and agriculture have lost weight in terms of employment. This change in the distribution of employment has been observed at the national level, with the services sector gaining weight in all autonomous communities. Although the services sector is the main generator of employment, industry and agriculture also play an important role in the Canary Islands economy.