The president of Foment del Treball, Josep Sánchez Llibre, has begun his third term leading the Catalan employers' association by challenging the views of some economists on Catalonia's economic model. Responding to the so-called 'Fénix report,' which deems the current model unsustainable due to its reliance on low-wage sectors, Sánchez Llibre emphasized the importance of 'walking the ground' in businesses to understand their reality.

The Fénix report suggests more selective immigration and greater regulation in sectors like tourism, which, while an economic driver, is also noted for promoting low-value-added jobs. In contrast, Sánchez Llibre reiterated his support for immigration as a "capital" element for business competitiveness, stating that entrepreneurs have made a "tremendous effort" to achieve maximum competitiveness.

A previous report by the Societat Barcelonesa d'Estudis Econòmics i Socials (Sbees), Foment's 'think tank,' already indicated in 2023 the need for 140,000 immigrants annually to fill jobs vacated by retirees, estimating a worker deficit of 1.4 million without this migratory flow. Sánchez Llibre had previously stated that entrepreneurs need "immigration like the air we breathe every day."

The Foment president identified employee absenteeism as the primary challenge to Catalan companies' competitiveness, announcing the preparation of a white paper to address this issue. He also reiterated the association's long-standing goals: promoting reindustrialization to reach 25% of industrial GDP and addressing the infrastructure deficit, estimated at 50 billion euros.