Employment and Job Creation in the LEADER Approach

Abstract

In the current social and economic context, deeply marked by the challenges put into motion by the 2008 crisis, it is essential to address how territories in general, and rural areas in particular, manage their resources to face the corollaries at the dramatic stage in which Mediterranean countries were left. Specifically, if rural spaces are consolidated as areas with employment opportunities, it can be the basis for the unleashing of a whole set of processes that, surely, feed very positive dynamics for its constitution as a socially dynamic and economically viable and competitive space. This chapter addresses the creation of employment in the region of Andalusia (Spain), within the framework of the 2007–2013 LEADER approach, its quantity, quality and sectorial productive division. Likewise, it reflects on the role of rural environments in the current globalized economy, and more specifically, within the framework of contemporary Mediterranean societies. In addition, as an endorsement of the previous work, it provides an interpretive synthesis about the main scenarios to explore and challenges to overcome in this framework of action in the coming years. Finally, it summarizes the lessons learned from the analysis, adding new contributions that enrich and expand the usual research landscape in this field.