According to data from 2022 by the “El Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal” (The State Employment Public Service), women constitute a substantial portion of the country’s labor force population. In 2022, approximately 11 million women participated in the labor force. Among them, 9.48 million were employed, while 1.62 million were unemployed and actively looking for work. This figure represents 45.9% of Spain’s overall labor force.
Examining the 2022 labor data for women in engineering in Spain shows both progress and challenges. In terms of employment, women in are making significant advances in various engineering fields. For example, women comprise 48.6% of environmental and 45.7% of chemical engineers in the country. However, other areas require attention to achieve gender parity. Electronic and mechanical engineers have the lowest percentage of female employees. Women comprise fewer than 20% of employed engineers in both disciplines.
Regardless of their qualifications, women face variable rates of unemployment across fields. Chemical and environmental engineering have 53.9% and 61.1%, respectively. The occupations with the lowest percentage of unemployed women include aeronautical engineering (12.3%) and mechanical engineering (14.0%). These statistics show the various problems dealing with the representation of women in the engineering labor force in Spain, emphasizing the need for targeted initiatives to address disparities and promote inclusivity within the field.
Additional Resources
- El Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (2023). Informacion mensual/annual de mercado de trabajo por ocupacion. Ministerial de Trabajo y Economía Social. España.
- El Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (2023). Informe del Mercado de Trabajo de las Mujeres 2022. Ministerial de Trabajo y Economía Social. España.
