The COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. First wave: from the first cases to the end of June 2020
Monographs from the National Atlas of Spain. New content
Companies deemed as being essential
National classification of economic activities |
Companies deemed as being essential % |
Workers %
|
Nacional total |
67.3 |
74.1
|
Crop and animal production,hunting and related service activities |
99.7 |
99.6
|
Forestry and logging |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Fishing and aquaculture |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Manufacture of food products |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Manufacture of beverages |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Manufacture of textiles |
88.1 |
88.8
|
Manufacture of wearing apparel |
34.1 |
29.5
|
Manufacture of leather and related products |
74.1 |
75.0
|
Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork; except furniture, manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials |
20.0 |
32.6
|
Manufacture of paper and paper products |
63.5 |
83.0
|
Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products |
61.1 |
99.6
|
Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products |
90.0 |
91.7
|
Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Manufacture of rubber and plastic products |
88.9 |
86.4
|
Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products |
92.0 |
95.0
|
Manufacture of electrical equipment |
70.8 |
69.1
|
Manufacture of furniture |
77.6 |
70.9
|
Other manufacturing |
66.3 |
68.5
|
Repair and installation of machinery and equipment |
64.7 |
42.5
|
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply |
98.1 |
97.0
|
Water collection, treatment and supply |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Sewerage |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Remediation activities and other waste management services |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Civil engineering |
3.6 |
3.9
|
Specialised construction activities |
41.8 |
50.1
|
Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
68.1 |
54.3
|
Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
49.5 |
59.5
|
Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles |
54.2 |
62.2
|
Land transport and transport via pipelines |
96.6 |
70.3
|
Water transport |
18.2 |
36.6
|
Air transport |
22.3 |
3.2
|
Warehousing and support activities for transportation |
69.7 |
74.1
|
Postal and courier activities |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Food and beverage service activities |
30.1 |
57.7
|
Publishing activities |
6.8 |
31.0
|
Programming and broadcasting activities |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Telecommunications |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Computer programming, consultancy and related activities |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Information service activities |
77.7 |
59.3
|
Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding |
8.3 |
94.6
|
Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security |
90.2 |
98.9
|
Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Legal and accounting activities |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis |
13.3 |
22.5
|
Scientific research and development |
62.9 |
95.1
|
Other professional, scientific and technical activities |
57.6 |
71.5
|
Veterinary activities |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Rental and leasing activities |
21.9 |
32.2
|
Security and investigation activities |
67.5 |
99.7
|
Services to buildings and landscape activities |
66.0 |
81.1
|
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security |
95.1 |
90.1
|
Human health activities |
100.0 |
100.0
|
Residential care activities |
52.8 |
52.1
|
Social work activities without accommodation |
30.7 |
33.1
|
Repair of computers and personal and household goods |
31.1 |
47.0
|
Other personal service activities |
88.5 |
89.1
|
Source: Central Business Register. National Statistics Institute
|
|
The state of alarm enacted on 14 March 2020 ushered in a general lockdown and in the suspension of all non-essential economic activities. This decision had an immediate and distressing impact on economy. However, which activities were deemed as being ‘essential’?
Since the double recession back in 2008-2013, there has been increased interest in studying the economic activities deemed as being really ‘essential’ for the sustainable running of developed societies and the well-being of citizens. New terms, such as urban development sector and essential economy, have been coined to describe the economic sectors that supply basic goods and services to households and urban areas. These so-called ‘essential activities’ account for between a third and a half of employment in developed countries, and their critical nature makes them more resistant in times of economic downturn, falling income and growing unemployment.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the relevance of this type of analysis. The state of alarm limited activity to a very specific set of essential activities that included the supply of energy, water and food; the processing sector; freight transport; information and communication services; financial services; business advice; public administration; healthcare; and social services (see the chart on Companies deemed as being essential).
The map on the percentage of Companies deemed as being essential in each municipality shows the relative importance of these economic activities, which account for 67.3% of companies and 74.1% of employed in Spain. However, this national average is widely exceeded in sparsely populated provinces, such as Lugo, Zamora, Palencia, Soria, Teruel, Huesca, Lleida, Cuenca and Almería, where companies deemed as being essential make up 75% of the business fabric. Segovia, Ávila, Salamanca and Jaén stand also above the national average with over 72% of companies considered essential. At the other end of the scale, the three Basque provinces, Alicante, Málaga, the Balearic Islands (Illes Balears), Ceuta and Melilla are to be observed, where less than 65% of companies are deemed as being essential.
You can download the complete publication The COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. First wave: from the first cases to the end of June 2020 in Libros Digitales del ANE site.
es:Magnitudes_macroeconómicas_(monografía_COVID-19)