The town of Los Realejos can proudly present the most outstanding historical employment data and the surge of new businesses in the past decade, as announced yesterday by Mayor Adolfo González.
For the first time during his term, the mayor presented an overview of the local economy, shedding light on the economic activity of the City Council in all its facets, conveyed through statistics to identify areas for enhancement and continual progress.
At a press conference at the Municipal Corporation, González revealed that the municipality had 469 unemployed individuals in 2023 and over the last ten years, a total of 2,636, comprising less than 10% of the population, considering the Canary Institute of Statistics reported 37,207 residents last year.
In this context, the peak year for unemployment was noted as 2014, with 5,871 individuals, followed by a declining trend until 2021 when there was a significant surge (5,106 people) due to the pandemic. The mayor clarified that this data was sourced from the Canarian Employment Observatory (Obecan).
Social Security affiliations also reflect this positive trajectory in economic activity, with 7,186 contributors in the northern town in March 2023, a figure that rose to 7,492 contributors by March of the current year, as stated by the northern mayor.
A similar trend is observed in the establishment of new enterprises, with records showing that in the past 12 months, 70 fresh business ventures have initiated the process for obtaining activity licenses, whether classified or innocuous, while only 17 closures were documented in the same period, he highlighted.
The mayor also emphasised the noteworthy budget of €1.4 million that the Local Economic Development Agency will oversee this year, encompassing various municipal aids for business activity and economic growth in Los Realejos. These aids include the ‘Entrepreneur Check’ to facilitate project kick-off, ‘Remárcate’ targeting corporate rebranding, and ‘Local Zero’, an incentive for leasing vacant premises. Additionally, other initiatives aim to enhance outdoor terrace activities and provide specific training schemes.
Focus on Construction
In this context, Adolfo González reaffirmed that the City Council will persist in the economic revitalisation of the city, with a specific focus on the construction sector, given its status as a significant employment generator and its alignment with the current “imperative” housing demand.
For this purpose, the governing body is contemplating potential tax incentives through the local ICIO tax (Tax on Constructions, Installations and Works) for projects aimed at constructing or renovating properties intended for public housing or social rentals, and for commercial establishments linked to job creation.
