Female employment in Democratic Spain and the Great Recession’s impact

Abstract

This article analyses under a gender perspective the Spanish labor market during the current stage of capitalism, which began in the 1970s, at the time Spain achieved democracy and was integrated in the European Union integration, as well as the changes that are taking place in the current recessive context. Based on the main theories and empirical evidence on the relationships between crises, economic cycles and gender participation in labour markets, the article examines the participation of women in the Spanish labour market during last four decades, with a focus on the structural aspects affecting supply and demand factors. The institutional framework and cultural changes that have accompanied this process of increasing women’s participation in employment are also studied. Finally, the consequences of last economic crisis in Spain on women and their job opportunities are examined, stressing the risk of being moving towards a new distributive and gender model.