New research conducted by Ricoh Europe, a company that undertakes workplace experience and digital services, shows that Spain has the highest productivity in Europe. The study surveyed 1,800 policy makers and 7,000 workers in Europe.
Italy comes second, followed by the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
About 92% of Spanish employees report high productivity, with the country’s non-productivity rate being only 4%. By comparison, 9% of employees in the UK and Ireland may consider themselves unproductive.
Meanwhile, 22% of French business leaders and 27% of German business leaders also view outdated technology as one of the key obstacles to employee productivity.
Similarly, 40% of European employees say better document management software (which helps better collaborate on digital documents) will help its productivity. About 37% of employees believe that collaboration and communication tools are key to improving productivity, while 36% want better automation software.
Caroline Bright, chief strategy and business officer at Ricoh Europe, pointed out the importance of bridging the technology gap in the current uncertain economic environment, noting that “the productivity gap across Europe should be a wake-up call for business leaders”.
She added: “As workplace dynamics evolve and the focus on the office continues, it is more important than ever to provide employees with the tools they need to operate and collaborate effectively.
“The good news is that the solution has touched. Now those who take action to modernize workplace technology will be the best positioning to close the productivity gap and enable teams to perform best and thrive in a competitive market.”
Related
Spain’s unemployment rate jumps to its highest level in the year
However, despite this, the Spanish unemployment rate rose to 11.4% in the first quarter of this year, compared with 10.6% in the previous quarter, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). That’s 10.7% expected by analysts, and the highest number of people in the year.
In the first quarter of 2025, the number of people without jobs increased by 193,700, the number of people increased by 2.8 million, while the number of people employed fell by 92,500 to 21.8 million. The working population also rose by 101,200 to reach 24.6 million.
In the first three months of this year, there were 116,500 unemployed women and 77,200 unemployed people.
The service industry lost 124,900 jobs, while 13,700 jobs were cut in the construction industry. 21,100 industrial jobs also decreased, and 4,500 agricultural jobs.
The rise in unemployment in Spain could point to the country’s heavy reliance on cyclical industries such as hotels and tourism, as well as employers’ caution due to ongoing economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
