The number of teleworkers has tripled in one year due to the health situation, offering workers greater geographic and time flexibility.
Teleworking is a great opportunity to combat depopulation in the provinces and towns of empty Spain, but there are also some drawbacks.
Remote working has seen a spectacular boom in 2020. Currently, more than 3 million workers are working remotely, compared to 915,800 people in 2019. This represents an increase of more than threefold, according to a Randstad study on the evolution of teleworking .
Start of marked textShare! 16.2% of the employed population in Spain regularly works from home.End of marked text
However, the algeria email list 1.76 million contact leads possibility of teleworking is not the same in all regions . While the Community of Madrid (26.6%) and Catalonia (18.5%) lead the list of the most remote workers, in La Rioja (10.9%), Murcia (10.6%) and the Canary Islands (9.6%) teleworking is less popular.
People between 25 and 45 years old are the ones who work remotely the most (16.8%), while those under 25 years old (8.6%) are the segment that can least perform this modality.
Teleworking in large cities offers thousands of workers the opportunity to return to their second homes in rural areas. In this way, they flee the hotspots of greatest incidence of COVID-19 in search of quieter and safer areas.
This is great news for the empty Spain, which is once again attracting talent and the attention of companies and institutions. For many towns, it is time to promote innovation and combat depopulation , the great enemy of rural areas for years.
These are the four main advantages of remote work in a rural environment.
Teleworking in Rural Environment
Although teleworking makes it difficult to disconnect from work, teleworking in a rural environment will help you reduce stress.
1. Teleworking and repopulation
Since 1975, the Spanish population has increased by around 36%, but this growth has been very uneven . While Madrid grew by 73%, other regions experienced an exodus of the population towards the main capitals.
This flight from the rural world is something we continue to see on a regular basis: a son who finds work in Barcelona, a nephew who goes to study in Madrid... Training and employment opportunities are not the same in one region of the country as in another. But this could change with teleworking and online classes, although it requires the support of institutions and companies.
Low population density in rural areas is a concern shared throughout Europe, so cooperation, innovation and planning will be key to reversing the situation.
Start of marked textShare! In provinces such as Soria, the population has decreased by more than 23% since 1975, according to data from the INE.End of marked text
2. Job placement
Teleworking, combined with online training, enables the labour insertion of people who, due to their location, did not have access to certain jobs. For example, a disabled person, or someone who needs to look after their grandparents in the village, would see their work and training horizons expanded .
This is also an advantage for companies , which can look for different profiles to those found in large cities. It should not be forgotten that unemployment is one of the biggest problems in rural areas.
International talent in rural environments
In addition to promoting job placement and attracting new inhabitants from other areas of Spain, teleworking makes it possible to attract European talent to rural areas. Work experience exchange programmes, for example, could be renewed with the possibility of working in environments where nature, tranquillity and health are the main attractions.
3. Rural entrepreneurship
It is true that you can start a business from anywhere, but when it comes to dealing with clients, investors or suppliers, face-to-face meetings forced you to travel. That is why many entrepreneurs choose to start their businesses in big cities.
But with teleworking, video conferencing is the order of the day and it is easier to avoid unnecessary travel . In addition, the costs of maintaining the facilities and the need for meeting rooms are reduced .
