Metal industry has an important role in the Spanish economy, as they manifest the almost 80,000 companies in 2007

Following the national classification of economic activities (CNAE 93), this activity is included in the Division 27 "metalurgia", 28 Division "Manufacture of metal products, except machinery and equipment", Division 29 "The construction of machinery and mechanical equipment industry", Division 30 "Manufacture of office machinery and computer equipment", Division 31 "Manufacture of machinery and electrical equipment"Division 32 "manufacture of electronic material, equipment and radio, television and communication", Division 33 "Fabrication of equipment and surgical instrument of precision, optical and watchmaking", Division 34 "Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers", Division 35 "Manufacture of other transport equipment"specifically concerned with the following activities:

CNAE 27. Metallurgy

• 27.1. Manufacture of basic iron, steel and ferro-alloys

• 27.2. Manufacture of tubes

• 27.3. Other first processing of iron and steel processes

• 27.4. Production and primary transformation of precious metals and other non-ferrous metals

• 27.5. Casting of metals

CNAE 28. Manufacture of metal products, except machinery and equipment

• 28.1. Manufacture of metal elements for the construction

• 28.2. Manufacture of tanks, large tanks and containers of metal; manufacture of radiators and

the central heating boilers

• 28.3. Manufacture of steam generators

• 28.4. Forging, stamping and forming of metals: metallurgy of powders

• 28.5. Treatment and coating of metals. General mechanical engineering for third parties

• 28.6. Manufacture of articles of cutlery and crockery, tools and hardware

• 28.7. Manufacture of metal products, except furniture

CNAE 29. The construction of machinery and mechanical equipment industry

• 29.1. Manufacture of machinery, equipment and mechanical equipment

• 29.2. Manufacture of other machinery, equipment and mechanical material of general use

• 29.3. Manufacture of agricultural machinery

• 29.4. Manufacture of machine tools

• 29.5. Manufacture of diverse machines for specific use

• 29.6. Manufacture of weapons and ammunition

• 29.7. Manufacture of household appliances

CNAE 30. Manufacture of office machinery and computer equipment

• 30.1. Manufacture of office machinery

• 30.2. Manufacture of computers and other computer equipment

CNAE 31. Manufacture of machinery and electrical equipment

• 31.1. Manufacture of electric motors, generators and transformers

• 31.2. Manufacture of electrical distribution and control equipment

• 31.3. Manufacture of wire and isolated electric cable

• 31.4. Manufacture of accumulators and batteries

• 31.5. Production of electric lamps and lighting fittings

• 31.6. Manufacture of other electrical equipment

CNAE 32. Manufacture of electronic material, equipment and radio, television and communication

• 32.1. Manufacture of valves, tubes and other electronic components

• 32.2. Manufacture of broadcasting and television, and apparatus for the radiotelephone transmitters and

radiotelegrafía with threads

• 32.3. Manufacture of equipment for reception, recording and playback of sound and image

CNAE 33. Manufacture of equipment and surgical instrument of precision, optical and watchmaking

• 33.1. Manufacture of orthopaedic appliances

• 33.2. Manufacture of instruments and apparatus of measurement, verification, control, navigation and other purposes

except for industrial process control equipment

• 33.3. Manufacture of industrial process control equipment

• 33.4. Manufacture of instruments in optics and photography equipment

• 33.5. Manufacture of watches

CNAE 34. Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers

• 34.1. Manufacture of motor vehicles

• 34.2. Pneumatics in bodywork production of trailers and semi-trailers, motor vehicle

• 34.3. Manufacture of parts, pieces and non-electrical accessories for motor vehicles and their engines

CNAE 35. Manufacture of other transport equipment

• 35.1. Construction and naval repair

• 35.2. Manufacture of railway equipment

• 35.3. Aircraft construction and space

• 22.0. Manufacture of motorcycles and bicycles

• 35.5. Manufacture of other transport equipment

Metal industry has an important role in the Spanish economy, as they manifest the almost 80,000 companies in 2007, with a turnover of EUR 209.789 million and employing more than 990,000 people.

The metal metallurgical sector is concentrated mainly in Catalonia, community which concentrated in 2007 a total of 18.351 companies in the sector, representing 22.8 per cent of the total of the domestic industry. With 10.287 companies of the sector dedicated to the sectors of metallurgy and manufacture of metal products (CNAE 27 and 28), 4.326 to the construction of machinery and mechanical equipment (CNAE 29) industry, 2.746 companies engaged in the manufacture of machinery and electrical equipmentmachines electronic Office, material and medical equipment (CNAE 30,31, 32 and 33), and 992 engaged in the manufacture of motor vehicles and transport equipment; Catalonia concentrates almost one-quarter of the industry of the metal of Spain. Followed Andalusia with a 12.9% of the total, and Madrid and Valencia with a 10.8% and 10.1% respectively, according to data from 2007 in all cases.

Total distribution of the companies in the sector by CC AA source: Ine.

The sector is characterized by being composed of a large number of small businesses, with 71% of companies less than 10 employees, and the 89,6% less than 20. Only 1.5% of the companies in the sector has more than 100 employees. It is therefore a highly atomised sector, composed of many small companies, where more than 158,000 have fewer than 20 employees. This fact increases the rivalry between the different companies and results, in many cases, the narrowing of the commercial margins due to the existing competition.

Total business sector according to stratum of employees. Source: Ine.

With a turnover of 209.789 million euros in 2007, the sector is affected since 2008 by a substantial demand decrease, largely caused by the slowdown of the economy and the decline in major sectors from the point of view of demand, such as the construction and the automotive sector. The first three quarters of 2008, date up to which available official figures, four of the nine productive branches of the metal showed a positive behavior: metallurgy (1.1%), manufacture of electronic materials (23.2%), manufacture of instruments of precision (1.5%), and the manufacture of other transport (11.5%) material, but with growth considerably lower than those recorded to date. In the other five branches, the activity in the middle of the three quarters was also negative, compared with the same period of the previous year, being lower in manufacture of metal products (- 6.2%), in manufacture of machinery and electrical equipment (- 3.9%)in the manufacture of office machinery and computers (- 25.1%), in the manufacture of machinery and mechanical equipment (- 2.8%) and in manufacture of motor vehicles and trailers (- 4.3%).

According to the survey (Epa) sector, the number of employed in the Metal industry (CNAE 93 of 27 to 35, both inclusive) reached 1.230.300 people in the third quarter of 2008, an increase of 1.3 per cent over the same quarter of the previous year (15,800 jobs), figure that does not match the data of affiliation to Social security or productive activity. In the middle of the year, the workers are located in 1.240.333, a 1.2% increase. However, the number of unemployed in the Metal industry according to the Epa, reached the figure of 72,000 people in the third quarter, representing an increase of 30,900 people and an increase of 75.2 per cent.