The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Labor Market: An Analysis of Supply and Demand in the Spanish Municipalities

The COVID-19 pandemic represents the largest health and economic crisis in recent history. It has particularly affected the countries of the Mediterranean area, with serious repercussions in terms of not only infections and deaths, but also economic losses. In particular, social distancing measures, severe restrictions, and lockdowns imposed by governments have had serious repercussions on the labor market. The impact of the pandemic on the labor market has prompted numerous researchers to examine and quantify its consequences. However, mainly macroeconomic analyses have been carried out and there is a lack of studies aimed at examining the impact on the labor market in the individual municipalities. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the supply and demand of labor in Spanish municipalities, and the factors that can influence these levels of employment. The results show the relevance of the characteristics of the business fabric in the supply and demand for employment during the first months of the pandemic. In addition, they show that the economic activity of the municipality and the demographic features of the population condition the labor market.

Efficiency in the governance of the Covid-19 pandemic: political and territorial factors.

BACKGROUND: The pandemic generated by Covid-19 has changed the way of life of citizens around the world in a short time, affecting all areas of society directly or indirectly, which is facing a global health crisis with different national responses implemented by governments. Several months into the pandemic, the first after-effects of Covid-19 are beginning to be felt by citizens, who are questioning the management carried out so far. In order to improve the performance of governmental decisions to reduce the impact of the pandemic during the coming months, we calculated the levels of efficiency in the management of health resources. In addition, we identify some country characteristics that may condition efficient management. RESULTS: We obtained significant differences according to the geographical location of the country, with European and American countries being less efficient than Asian and African countries. Likewise, we can affirm that greater freedom of expression, a higher median age and an unstable economy and labor market reduce efficiency. However, female leadership of the government and greater compliance with the rule of law offer more efficient management, as do countries that derive more revenues from tourism. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide an opportunity for political leaders to reflect on their management during these months of the pandemic in order to identify mistakes and improve the implementation of effective measures. It has been shown that using more resources does not mean managing better; therefore, policymakers need to pay special attention to the use of resources, taking into account the budgetary constraints of the public sector.

The Commitment of Spanish Local Governments to Sustainable Development Goal 11 from a Multivariate Perspective

The commitment of governments to sustainable development was materialised in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and later in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the latter being a more ambitious project that positions local governments as the main agents for its implementation. With the aim of improving the sustainability of cities, this research analyses the commitment of Spanish local governments to the SDG-11, indicating possible improvements with the aim of complying with Agenda 2030. We use the X-STATIS study technique with graphic representations. The results indicate a positive trend towards achieving SDG-11, in which progressive governments are concerned with issues of inclusive and sustainable urbanisation as a result of increased citizen participation, and conservative governments focus on slum upgrading and safety in inclusive and accessible public spaces. In addition, the ideological coincidence between different administrative levels is an impetus to the fulfilment of SDG-11.