Barcelona City Council has drawn up a plan to boost employment in the city and mitigate the consequences of the pandemic. The mission is to immediately enact extraordinary measures to protect jobs and foster quality employment. The municipal government has earmarked € 6 million for the plan, which has been drawn up with a broad short and long-term outlook. 

The plan forms part of the Catalan Regional Government's measures, primarily targeting the groups that have been most affected by the consequences of the crisis: young people, women, people with low-level qualifications and those working in the services sector. 

It comprises several measures and policies with different objectives in different areas, from training and digitisation for citizens, to providing resources to companies so that they can contract more employees. The areas of action will remain active throughout 2021 to consolidate the objectives for reducing unemployment. 

Barcelona Activa will be contributing through actions in several areas:

• Financial support for employers with subsidies for new contracts lasting a minimum of six months.
• Online training courses for professionals in high-demand sectors: Industry and energy, Healthcare and medicine, Logistics, Information and communications, Commerce, Marketing, Construction and Public works.
• Emergency youth plan: a package of measures designed to get young people into work.
• Prioritising the unemployed and those with special needs in public recruitment.
• The holding of a joint BizBarcelona and Saló de l'Ocupació show (September 21st-23rd).
• Launching various projects to reactivate local neighbourhood economies with grants of up to 80%, such as the ‘Impulsem el que fas’ programme.

The plan also contemplates the growth opportunities of various strategic sectors, providing training for new tools, and other municipal resources aimed at enriching the productive fabric of the city.