Press Release 15/07/2022
INFORMATION SOCIETY SURVEY. COMPANIES. 2022
10.2% of people employed in Basque companies worked remotely in 2022, almost twice as many as at the beginning of the pandemic
Almost 3 out of 4 establishments with 10 or more employees use social networks in their activity and half use cloud computer services
In 2022, 10.2% of staff at Basque companies worked off company premises for at least a third of the working day on a regular basis, using telematic networks to connect to the company’s ICT (Information Communication Technology) systems, and can therefore be considered remote workers, according to Eustat data.
This percentage of remote workers, although it has decreased from the 12% obtained the previous year, in 2021, is still almost double that attained in 2020 (5.4%) at the start of the pandemic.
Furthermore, on average, we find that 76.0% of employees used ICT (Information & Communication Technology) systems and 10.5% were ICT specialists. Additionally, over a third of the total personnel (39.5%) have a remote connection via a portable device for professional use.
If these staff are analysed by gender, it is worth noting that, except for ICT specialists, where the percentage of men (65.7%) was higher than that of women, (34.3%), in the other categories mentioned the percentages were very similar, with a share of around 50%.
However, by sector of activity, excepting ICT specialists where the percentage of men is always higher, in the other sectors differences between gender were observed. In Industry and Construction there was a higher percentage of men, whereas by contrast, in Services the percentage of women was higher.
ICT employees in establishments in the Basque Country by province and activity branch (%). 2022
| | ICT users | ICT specialists | Employees with remote connection | Remote workers |
| | Total | Women | Men | Total | Women | Men | Total | Women | Men | Total | Women | Men |
| Basque Country | 76,0 | 49,8 | 50,2 | 10,5 | 34,3 | 65,7 | 39,5 | 47,5 | 52,5 | 10,2 | 49,3 | 50,7 |
| Araba/Álava | 75,6 | 46,9 | 53,1 | 8,9 | 35,9 | 64,1 | 35,5 | 45,2 | 54,8 | 8,3 | 49,3 | 50,7 |
| Bizkaia | 76,4 | 50,4 | 49,6 | 11,2 | 33,7 | 66,3 | 40,2 | 48,1 | 51,9 | 10,5 | 48,7 | 51,3 |
| Gipuzkoa | 75,7 | 50,3 | 49,7 | 10,3 | 34,2 | 65,8 | 40,5 | 47,9 | 52,1 | 10,7 | 50,1 | 49,9 |
| Branch of activity | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Industry | 65,5 | 29,6 | 70,4 | 5,5 | 23,6 | 76,4 | 33,3 | 29,6 | 70,4 | 9,2 | 37,0 | 63,0 |
| Construction | 54,4 | 32,0 | 68,0 | 8,6 | 34,1 | 65,9 | 39,4 | 28,9 | 71,1 | 7,3 | 44,3 | 55,7 |
| Services | 80,5 | 56,7 | 43,3 | 12,0 | 37,6 | 62,4 | 41,2 | 53,9 | 46,1 | 10,7 | 53,6 | 46,4 |
Date July 15, 2022
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
Robotics is present in 22.0% of industrial companies with 10 or more employees
As regards the digital transformation of companies —the so-called Industry 4.0— Social Networks was the top indicator of the nine analysed, with 55.2% of companies using them for business purposes.
This was followed by Mobile Services, with 33.5%. Mobile Services is understood as the use of applications relating to the activity and production processes of the company.
Cloud Computing came third, with 26.6% of establishments paying for this service in order to access company information or services, through an internet connection from any mobile or fixed device in any location.
In addition, with percentages ranging from 10% to 20%, were Cyber Security Activities, 20.8%; the Internet of Things (IoT), 13.6%; and Big Data Analysis, 12.2%. Finally, with percentages below 5%, were Artificial Intelligence, 4.9%; 3D Printers, 2.6%; and Robotics, 2.3%.
In the case of establishments with 10 or more employees, these percentages are clearly higher, particularly regarding the Use of social networks for business purposes and the Use of Cloud Computing. The former reached 73.8% of establishments of this size and the latter 50.2%. Very close to the latter percentage is Use of mobile services, 49.3%, and Cyber security activities, 47.7%. Some distance behind, but above 25%, appears Big data analysis, 25.9% and Internet of Things (IoT), 25.6%. Finally, Use of robotics is present in 12.9% of companies (increasing to 22.0% in the Industry sector), while Use of 3D printers and Use of artificial intelligence systems features in 8.7% and 8.4% of establishments with 10 or more employees.
Indicators of the industry 4.0 in the establishments of the Basque country according to employment strata. 2022
| | All businesses | Establishments of 10 or more employees |
| Use of social networks for business purposes | 55,2 | 73,8 |
| Use of computer services "in the cloud" | 26,6 | 50,2 |
| Use of mobile services | 33,5 | 49,3 |
| Use of the internet of things (IoT) | 13,6 | 25,6 |
| Cybersecurity activities | 20,8 | 47,7 |
| Analysis of aggregate (Big Data) | 12,2 | 25,9 |
| Use of artificial intelligence systems | 4,9 | 8,4 |
| Use of 3D printers | 2,6 | 8,7 |
| Use of Robotics | 2,3 | 12,9 |
Date July 15, 2022
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
Basque companies have already almost reached the maximum availability of ICT equipment
As regards the ICT equipment of Basque companies, it is worth noting that they are becoming better prepared and the percentage of employees who use these technologies was also higher. At present, 94.8% of establishments have a computer, 92.5% use email, 93.5% have Internet access and 95.8% use mobile telephones. In addition, just over half of the companies, 54.3%, have a website.
In establishments with 10 or more employees, these percentages in equipment have already almost reached their maximum. Thus, 99.5% have a computer, 99.2% use email, 99.6% have internet access, 97.9% use a mobile phone and 92.0% have a website, so unlike smaller establishments, there is almost no growth margin left.
Information technology equipment in establishments in the Basque Country by province and employment strata. 2022
| | Personal Computer | Email | Internet | Mobile phone | Web page |
| | % acc/business | % acc/job | % acc/business | % acc/job | % acc/business | % acc/job | % acc/business | % acc/business |
| Basque Country | 94,8 | 73,3 | 92,5 | 69,8 | 93,5 | 70,6 | 95,8 | 54,3 |
| Araba/Álava | 95,8 | 71,2 | 93,5 | 65,3 | 94,9 | 66,0 | 96,1 | 54,6 |
| Bizkaia | 94,3 | 74,2 | 91,2 | 70,5 | 92,4 | 71,5 | 95,2 | 52,7 |
| Gipuzkoa | 95,2 | 73,0 | 93,9 | 71,0 | 94,6 | 71,5 | 96,5 | 56,7 |
| Employment strata | | | | | | | | |
| From 0 to 9 | 94,4 | 75,9 | 91,8 | 71,6 | 92,9 | 74,3 | 95,6 | 50,8 |
| 10 or more | 99,5 | 72,1 | 99,2 | 69,0 | 99,6 | 68,1 | 97,9 | 92,0 |
Date July 15, 2022
Source: Eustat. Survey on the information society. Companies
As regards the percentage of employees using these technologies, 73.3% use a computer; 69.8% have email; and 70.6% have Internet access.
Computer security is very widespread among Basque companies
Furthermore, 90.0% of companies have some form of computer security measure, up 1.9 percentage points on the previous year. Standing out among these measures, above 30%, were updated software (86.4%), secure passwords (84.4%) and external backups (65.3%), network access control (41.5%) and data encryption (34.6%). In the case of companies with 10 or more employees, all these percentages were higher, with those using some form of computer security reaching 99.0%.
Furthermore, in 2022, 43.8% of Basque companies had open-source software, such as internet browsers, office programs, free or open operating systems (Linux), etc. At companies with 10 or more employees this percentage increases to 55.3%.
Fibre optic connection is the main form of internet access
Basque companies with Internet access currently stand at 93.5% of the total, after those connected rose by 0.9 percentage points the previous year.
94.1% of companies with internet access had fixed connections, be they via ADSL, Cable or Other connections, whereas 89.6% of connected companies had mobile connections.
At companies with fixed connections, Fibre Optic (Cable, FTTH, etc.), 80.5%, was the most common way access the Internet. Its growth rate has continued to rise and it now vastly surpasses ADSL access, 43.8%.
If we take size into account, in companies with 10 or more employees, 99.6% have internet access: 99.6% through fixed connections and 93.5% through mobile connections. Here, too, Fibre Optic connections (Cable, FTTH, etc.), 90.1%, was the most common way to access the Internet. It was followed by ADSL lines, 53.4%, which have continued to decline in recent years.
54.3% of all Basque companies, and 92.0% of those with 10 or more employees, had an online presence via a website
Companies are giving more importance to maintaining a presence on the internet via a website. In the last year, those that had a web presence accounted for 54.3% of the total, whilst in companies with 10 or more employees this figure rose to 92.0%.
These websites provide general information on the company, a catalogue of products and services offered, a data privacy statement, job offers and after-sale services, amongst other options.
Regarding the languages that they can be accessed in, Spanish particularly stands out, available in 99.0% of cases; Basque was available in 44.6% of cases; English, 30.0% and other languages, 13.2%.
Internet access and online presence in Basque companies with 10 or more employees exceeded the EU-27 average
At the international level, and for a perfect comparability with the EU-27, as well as employing the data of companies with 10 or more employees and the activities that Eurostat groups them into (they do not take into account the financial sector, the public administration, etc.), information from 2021, the previous year, must be used. This year, Basque companies with these characteristics obtained Internet access percentages (99%) higher than the European Union 27 average (98%), and had a greater percentage of businesses with Internet presence, 91% in the Basque Country in 2021, compared with the EU-27 average of 78%.
NOTE
Eustat would like to thank all the companies and institutions that have collaborated in preparing this survey, the information for which was gathered between January and May 2022 with a response rate of 78.6%.
For further information:
Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute
C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz
Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tel.: 945 01 75 62