A report by elDiario.es focuses on “sisi” – young people in Spain, who study and work at the same time. Current figures from the Encuesta de Población Activa of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística suggest that this group is continuing to grow, while the proportion of those who neither study nor work is falling.
According to the EPA the share of so-called “nini” in Spain stood at 11.5 per cent of 15- to 29-year-olds in 2025, well below the 19.4 per cent recorded in 2015. At the same time, the share of “sisi” is growing; media reports put it at around a third of 16- to 29-year-olds in 2026, combining education and employment. This relationship is at the heart of the current news story; interviews with those affected underscore it with accounts of heavy time pressures.
The causes are primarily structural. First, high housing costs lead many young adults to earn an income while still at school or university. Second, the structure of employment is changing: more part-time and fixed-term jobs make it easier to balance work with lectures, exams and placements, but they are often less well paid and come with uncertain prospects. Third, family pressure plays a role when young people contribute to household expenses.
The consequences are mixed. In the short term, practical experience and additional income improve job prospects. At the same time, those interviewed report little time to rest, stress and restricted social lives. Education researchers and labour market observers, quoted among others by El País, warn against the tacit normalisation of sustained pressure. Exam periods are particularly challenging, with shifts extended and days off used for studying.
It is important to distinguish facts from interpretation: the percentages for “nini” and the trend come from the EPA of the INE. The qualitative assessment of health, academic achievement and life planning is based on interviews and expert comments in media coverage; further studies are needed to quantify the long-term effects reliably. Policy measures – for example on rents, grants, student loans, minimum wages or the regulation of part-time work by students – could change the balance between education and work. Whether the trends observed become entrenched or ease will be reflected in upcoming quarterly and annual labour force survey data.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).