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Spain in the wake of the crisis: Reforms or Adjustment?

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Abstract

This paper examines how a set of economic indicators have changed in Spain before and after the last round of reforms were passed. This analysis provides some stylized facts of the Spanish recovery. The current account balance and the main competitiveness indicators started to improve in 2009 before any major reform had been adopted. The robust growth of the Spanish economy depends, just as before the crisis, virtually on domestic demand alone. In the labour market, net jobs have been created after the reform but by substituting permanent for temporary contracts. Unemployment is increasingly becoming a longer, and more vulnerable condition. Innovation activity in firms is in free fall. Part of all this is not attributable to the reforms, but rather to deeper limitations of the Spanish economy. All in all, the case for a private sector-led, ¿automatic¿ adjustment after 2008 is stronger than the one to be made for recovery through reform.

Suggested Citation

  • Xifré, Ramon, 2016. "Spain in the wake of the crisis: Reforms or Adjustment?," IESE Research Papers D/1141, IESE Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-1141
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    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • E01 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Measurement and Data on National Income and Product Accounts and Wealth; Environmental Accounts
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade

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