Are mothers at a disadvantage when being considered for promotion at work? This study shows that they are not, providing that they have not taken options such as flexible or reduced working hours or teleworking.

The gender gap in employment prior to covid-19 stood at around 16.5%. This article assesses the impact of economic crises and analyses the evolution of female employment between 1980 and 2017.

“In-work poverty” has the greatest impact on women and young people, and this was the case before the covid-19 crisis. This article shows that between 2010 and 2014, the median wage fell by 5.2%.

How do families solve the problem of balancing work and family life when school finished for the summer? Women bear the brunt in the labour sphere.

Do we have quality education? In this report we analyse three fundamental dimensions: access to sufficient educational level, obtaining of adequate knowledge to contribute to economic and social development, and degree of inclusion of the education system.

The aim of excise duties is to reduce the negative impact on society of specific consumption, such as fuels or tobacco. This report shows that they are regressive in their current design.

The increase in economic inequality in recent years in Spain translates into the richest 1% of the population obtaining a higher income than the poorest 50%. What lies behind this concentration of capital?

Is labour polarisation occurring in Europe? This study, prior to the covid-19 crisis, shows that in Spain, in barely 25 years, employment in higher-quality occupations has almost doubled. 

We analyse the relative influence of the family background and the skills of each person on social mobility. Are there differences between the Nordic countries and those in southern Europe such as Italy and Spain? 

The impact of the covid-19 crisis on the labour market is being more pronounced in the Mediterranean countries and is concentrated on workers with low salaries and in precarious jobs, as well as women and younger workers.

The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” has announced a call to support survey-based research projects on the social impact of covid-19.

The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” has announced a call to support research projects on the social impact of covid-19.

Does a wealth tax help to reduce inequality when it comes to distributing wealth? This report shows that Spain’s wealth tax displays major shortcomings that limit its collection and redistributive impact. 

Healthcare spending is unequal: it increases with age and is higher among men than women. Furthermore, 5% of the population is responsible for 50% of total expenditure. We analyse the factors that explain this, within a pre-covid-19 scenario.

A lack of investment in innovation, major employment precarity and a lack of refresher training are obstacles for tackling the digitalisation of the Spanish economy. We analyse the causes.    

Have we improved in terms of equality between men and women? In this report we analyse five dimensions: economic wellbeing, employment, access to decent housing, education and state of health.

Elderly people enjoy greater economic stability but suffer from a worse state of health. We analyse the situation of this population segment prior to the drastic change caused by covid-19.

A lack of professional opportunities and labour precarity mean that young people are very vulnerable to economic crises. What were the circumstances of this group prior to covid-19?

Deprivations during childhood become unequal opportunities in adulthood. Understanding the conditions in which this population segment lived prior to the covid-19 crisis can help to prepare for the future.

We analyse possible reforms, considered in a pre-covid-19 scenario, for improving the welfare state in Spain and its redistributive capacity in relation to the European average.

One of the risks of the pandemic is an increase in child poverty. We analyse the effectiveness of redistributive polices (pre-covid-19) whose aim is to protect vulnerable households with children.

Can poverty be eradicated? Michael Kremer, Nobel Prize for Economics 2019, talks to us about new tools for the economy, which enable us to obtain a rigorous estimate of causes and impacts.

The situation in the coming months forces us to reflect on our society's (pre-covid-19) redistributive capacity. Spain is one of the EU countries with the greatest income inequality. 

Population changes can occur due to variations in the population caused by natural changes and migratory movements.

In 2017, one out of every four people was at risk of poverty and social exclusion in Spain, three points higher than the European average(EU-28: 23.5%)

Between the years 2007 and 2017, inequality in Spain increased, with a Gini Coeficient (not including social transfers) that has increased in value from 45 to 50

The GDP in purchasing power standards allows a more exact comparison of the level of economic development between countries. In 2017, the GDP per inhabitant in Purchasing Power Standards remained at 92% of the European average, unchanged from the previous year

Some 79.3% of households with children and with very low work intensity were at risk of poverty in 2017. Does this figure exceed the European average?

To what point do poverty and material deprivation affect the households in which children live? The eighth Dossier from the Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” analyses the relationship between child poverty and its consequences, such as health problems, academic failure and social mobility difficulties.