ANDThe productive fabric grows in Cordova for the second year consecutive, but still has not reached the pre-pandemic dimension of coronavirus. In general terms, the most dynamic economic activities continue, although the evolution of the last five years highlights some changes in the provincial panorama. In this way, one of the most visible variations is the one recorded in the trade, which leads the Córdoba ranking with 5,509 companies registered in the general regime of the Social Security. This figure represents a slight annual drop (-16 firms) and maintains the loss of companies that began in the sector a few years ago. In the last five years, 653 businesses have closed in Córdobaone every three days.
At the same time, the constructionwhat’s wrong with it 2,098 companies or activities (it must be taken into account that each company can have more than one contribution account code) has added 22 signatures in one year and has 255 more than in 2018 (+14%).
The accommodation and food and beverage services They have 2,379 firms in the province, 78 more than in 2022. However, they have not managed to recover either and have lost 4% of their fabric in the last five years. Another notable activity, the food and beverage manufacturing industry, has 658 companies after reducing its number slightly (-14) in the last year. The current ones are 12% less than in 2018.
Regarding what happened in the last 12 months, companies from other sectors such as transportation and storagethe metal and textile industriesand the agriculture. On the opposite side, in addition to those already mentioned, the wood and paper industries, and mining and chemicals, have lost muscle.
The number of companies increases for the second year
With these results, Córdoba has chained its second year of business growth in 2023, winning 551 companies and reached the figure of 32,974 (+2% annually). Among these, the most numerous are the 21,480 firms registered in the general regime, which increase for the third year, but are 3% less than in 2018. Since December 2022, the general regime has gained 179 companies. For its part, the special agrarian system, where there are 7,710 registered, has added 294 and the home system, which has 3,784, has increased by 78.
Social Security information for the province also indicates that the year has ended with 311,224 workers discharged and these are 2% more than five years ago. Córdoba also has 2,032 more employees than at the end of 2022 (0.7% annually).
This increase has been possible due to the job creation registered in the last 12 months. If we analyze what happened in the general regime, we can see that the food and accommodation services, with 14,374 workers (+6%); construction, which employs 12,469 (+5%); Mining and chemistry, with 3,473 members (+4%), and other business activities, where 27,692 Cordobans work (+4%), have experienced the greatest increases in membership.
The statistics indicate that, practically, all sectors have improved their balance except agriculture and livestock, which has lost 5% of employed people in the general regime and has 1,556. Similarly, jewelry, energy and water have recorded slight declines.
Another striking aspect about the 311,224 professionals registered in the province is that only 13% are 29 years old or younger, while 65% are over 40 years of age. A fifth of those employed (21%) are between 30 and 39 years old.
The number of self-employed workers continues to rise, but the rise is slowing down
Córdoba has ended the last year with 54,050 self-employed discharged in Social Security and these are 0.2% more than in December 2022 (+124 in absolute figures). Along these lines, statistics indicate that, unlike what happened with companies, which have not yet recovered the level prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the number of self-employed professionals is much higher than that recorded five years ago.
The province has 1,602 more members in this special regime than in 2018, which translates into a percentage increase of 3%. Furthermore, it should be noted that In the last year, the increase in membership has been registered only among female entrepreneurs, which are 19,015 in the province, 324 more in one year. The evolution of the self-employed men has been negative and this group now has 35,035 members, 200 less. The sectors with the most self-employed workers are commerce (14,349); other business activities (10,812) and agriculture (7,408).
Debt deferral and improper collection
The difficulties that some companies have in meeting their Social Security payments have motivated the granting of 1,327 debt deferrals by the administration during the past year in Córdoba. All debts for which this measure that facilitates payment has been granted are below 150,000 euros.
On the other hand, in this province there have been 2,258 files of improper collection of benefits and the amount amounts to 3.9 million euros. Retirements accumulate the highest amount, with 1.8 million, and is followed by the Minimum Living Income, with 764,866 euros.