The Employment Ecosystem of Bizkaia as an Emerging Common in the Face of the Impact of COVID-19

Abstract

In the context of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Bizkaia (Basque Country, Spain), and from the renewed Commons paradigm, this research analyzes the initial response given by the region’s employment ecosystem. Based on extensive quantitative and qualitative methods, it empirically explores the catalytic role that local public and social entities could play in coordinating an organized and systemic response of the employment-related stakeholders to an external impact, such as the current pandemic. The study of databases specifically provided by the Public Administrations for this research, in combination with two survey processes conducted to the main agents of the ecosystem, led to a greater understanding of the benefits of an organized and systemic reaction. From the community identification of a priori unrecognized impacts by individual actors to the proposal of actions closely connected to their short and long-term needs, the article finally presents recommendations aimed at strengthening the resilience and collaboration of the collective action.

Reviewing the Benefits of Aging Populations: Care Activities Provided by the Older People as a Commons

“…Overlooking the paternalistic relationship with the public and/or the blind acceptance of market forces, the commons reveal the possibilities and potential of collective self-organization for sustainable management of different social goods, such as de provision of reproductive work. The paradigm of the commons includes all (self)-transformative activities, performed by subjects that are able to create new institutions in search of higher degrees of human autonomy ( 59 , 60 ). In fact, “the so-called common goods are not just goods; they are not “things” that are separate from us, they aren't even just shared goods.…”

Monetary Fiscal Contributions to Households and Pension Fund Withdrawals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Approximation of Their Impact on Construction Labor Supply in Chile

“…We have provided a scientific response to the problems construction companies currently experience while trying to fill vacancies. We contribute useful evidence to anticipate and respond to challenges of similar characteristics in the future, understanding that the COVID-19 pandemic is a dynamic phenomenon that unevenly affects different economic sectors (Atutxa et al 2021). The construction sector has been among the most affected because it requires intense on-site labor.…”

“…In addition, our results provide a cause-and-effect relationship by sizing the impact of non-contributory cash transfers and pension fund withdrawals by households on their leisure preferences. We provide a scientific response to the problems construction companies experience while trying to fill vacancies, and we contribute useful evidence for the design or calibrations of public policy to anticipate and respond to challenges of similar characteristics in the future (Atutxa et al 2021).…”

Covid 19, Inequality and Poverty in Rural Indonesia

“…During the Covid-19 pandemic, not only Indonesia had difficulty identifying families and distributing social assistance to the community. South African countries, Spain, America are experiencing the same thing and even social assistance encourages social inequality (Atutxa et al, 2021;Mueller et al, 2021;Visagie & Turok, 2021). The impact of this pandemic was also stated by Acuto et al (2020) that the pandemic is driving an increase in fundamental inequalities within society, not just the family level.…”

“…Access to food sources during this pandemic depends on diversified and increasingly irregular sources, on the other hand, food provision involves a set of knowledge and skills essential for social reproduction that is not included in existing emergency programs (Gracia-Arnaiz et al, 2021;Milán-García et al, 2019). Covid-19 has also resulted in worsening poverty and unemployment rates (Atutxa et al, 2021;Rivera & Castro, 2021;Sjaf, 2021). In Indonesia, as of July 31, 2020, the total number of workers, both formal and informal, affected by Covid-19 reached more than 3.5 million people nationwide (Kemenaker, 2020).…”