Nuria Alonso

El foco de esta investigación es estudiar la relación entre la digitalización y el empleo en las áreas rurales de la Unión Europea (UE). En el artículo se profundiza en la delimitación conceptual del medio rural y en las dificultades metodológicas para definir las áreas rurales a partir de los indicadores convencionales de actividad económica e indicadores poblacionales y, siguiendo la literatura especializada, se realiza un análisis exploratorio de los datos disponibles para las áreas rurales, según el criterio de grado de urbanización en las áreas definidas en Eurostat. Sobre esa base se plantea un modelo de datos de panel con efectos fijos para el conjunto de la UE en el periodo 2010-2023, con objeto de contrastar la hipótesis de que las competencias digitales pueden ser determinantes en la explicación de la tasa de empleo en las áreas rurales en Europa, junto con las variables tradicionalmente vinculadas al desarrollo económico regional.

El presente estudio ofrece un análisis de la precariedad laboral europea en los años recientes (2007-2021) a partir de la construcción de un indicador sintético que mide el deterioro de las condiciones laborales en los países de la Unión Europea (UE). Con ese objetivo se plantea, por una parte, la detección de las principales dimensiones afectadas por la extensión de la precariedad europea, y por otra, la detección de las variables que, en cada uno de los planos, describen este empeoramiento en las distintas áreas comunitarias. Todo ello con el propósito de disponer de un indicador capaz de medir el avance de la precariedad laboral en los mercados europeos detectando, a su vez, las disparidades regionales y de sexo que registra esta problemática. Los resultados obtenidos permiten abrir la reflexión acerca de los factores económicos e institucionales que explicarían las divergencias geográficas y el avance desigual en ambos sexos.

This work presents an analysis of the digitalisation of the tourism sector and evaluates the potential of this process for rural areas of the European Union (EU). To do this, we explore aspects of both the supply and demand of rural tourism, proposing a regression model that incorporates indicators that relate the advance of digitalisation with changes in the weight and characteristics of the sector in the regions with low population density included in the NUTS level 2. The research results indicate a positive relationship between the digitalisation of the sector and the supply of rural accommodation, as well as a positive impact on the demand for these facilities. In addition, the study has made it possible to address the potential competition between traditional accommodations and digital platforms, revealing that the greater use of digital platforms for reservations does not negatively affect hotel occupancy rates. The findings underline the importance of digitalisation in the development of rural tourism and suggest possible lines of political action for promoting digital platforms in rural areas.

This article analyzes the domestic work and paid care sector in the countries of the European Union (EU), which includes jobs mostly carried out by women, generally with a serious lack of job protection, low wages, degraded working conditions, informality, precariousness and “invisibility” of tasks, etc. However, these jobs represent essential services for society, since in addition to caring for family members and dependents, personal and domestic care needs must be covered. From an operational perspective, the very characteristics of domestic work do not facilitate the collection of specific statistics necessary for the study of working conditions. This problem of statistical invisibility further slows down progress in establishing measures to improve the quality of employment for these workers. Therefore, it is necessary to address the discussion on the conceptual delimitation of domestic work and the measurement criteria adopted internationally, with special emphasis on those observed in the EU. Finally, the most advanced national regulations that try to reconcile the improvement of the working conditions of women employed in domestic work with the fact of promoting these services to cover the assistance needs of many households with economic difficulties are analyzed.

INTRODUCCIÓN A pesar de que en las últimas décadas formalmente se ha alcanzado un nivel importante de igualdad

In recent decades, there has been a massive incorporation of women into the labor market. However, the belief that certain jobs or business functions can be performed better by people of one gender than the other has not allowed for widespread changes in the business culture to achieve effective equality between women and men in companies. Examples of this are unequal access to employment, vertical and horizontal segregation in occupations, wage discrimination, problems in reconciling personal and professional life, or difficulties in accessing management positions in companies (glass ceiling). Other determinants of gender inequalities have been long working hours, as well as the presence of employees, characteristic of European business culture. The progress achieved to date began with the incorporation of women into the labor market under unequal conditions that soon called for the need to establish a regulatory framework to try to eradicate them. The legal status of women in Europe has undoubtedly improved as a result of the development of European regulations, which have been binding in the development of business policies in the Member States and have succeeded in modifying the organizational climate through proposals such as the development of Equality Plans or salary audits. Examples of the most recent legislative initiatives of the European Union on equality that affect business practices are Directive 2022/2041/EC on adequate minimum wages in the European Union or Directive 2022/2381/EC on a better gender balance among directors of listed companies. This study attempts to systematize the changes in the legislation on effective equality between men and women in business and to analyze its effect on organizational culture through the information available in the statistics on gender equality—mainly from the European Union—which gather quantitative and qualitative information on the adaptation of business culture to the new legal framework and the overcoming of gender stereotypes that have been guiding business management in the last decade.

Este trabajo plantea una aproximación para la medición comparada del avance de la precariedad laboral en las economías integrantes de la Unión Europea en los años recientes (2000-2021) a través de la detección y tratamiento de aquellas variables que caracterizan el fenómeno en el contexto comunitario. Con ese objetivo se incorpora, de una parte, un análisis de las correlaciones de las variables que permiten indagar en la multidimensionalidad de la calidad del empleo ante las diferentes etapas de inestabilidad económica, y de otra, mostrar comparadamente el estado de la situación y evolución de la precariedad en las distintas regiones integradas en el proyecto comunitario. Todo ello con el propósito de detectar los factores económicos e institucionales que permiten explicar situaciones distintivas entre las diferentes zonas de las economías.

We discuss the water remunicipalization process in the city of Valladolid (Spain), focusing specifically on its public financing model. Valladolid water remunicipalization has been a politically driven process, but implemented and managed in a technical way, through a public 100% municipality-owned company. As we show, it does not require the additional participation of financial intermediaries, public or private. The Valladolid remunicipalization process has been largely successful, with efficient financial and technical management, including some equity and environmental considerations, although it is not free from financial challenges that could cause it to totter in the future.