The second ABOQ Conference, held at the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona, has placed the city at the center of the international debate on employment. The event was attended by representatives from the European Commission, the OECD, the International Labour Organization (ILO), as well as social partners, employers' associations, and top-level experts.
The aim of the meeting was to address the major challenges of the current labor market, such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, business competitiveness, youth employment, and lifelong learning, with the goal of promoting more competitive, inclusive, and quality employment.
“"ABOQ allows us to have a meeting space, with a holistic view, to improve employment, business competitiveness, and the agility of administrations in responding to challenges. Without unions, employers' associations, and entities, we will not be able to help all those people looking for work who need support or lifelong training to avoid being left out of the labor market. Only through joint work will we move towards a just, egalitarian, and sustainable city."
The conference is part of the Barcelona Agreement for Quality Employment 2021-2030 (ABOQ), a city strategy driven by the Barcelona City Council, through Barcelona Activa, and the main social and economic agents. This consensus model brings together nearly 90 organizations and has implemented around 300 actions since 2021, providing over 400,000 services to citizens.
The new Action Plan 2026-2027 foresees new initiatives focused on the care sector, generational renewal in trades, the impact of artificial intelligence, continuous training, and the labor inclusion of migrants. The development of the Barcelona Quality of Work Index, a pioneering tool to measure and monitor the evolution of employment quality in the city, is also highlighted.
The event was held within the framework of the Saló de l’Ocupació (Employment Fair) and the first Saló del Comerç (Commerce Fair), which highlights a sector key to the economic vitality of the neighborhoods.
