Old industrial cities striving to attract and retain ‘knowledge workers’: a case study from Spain

Abstract

Human capital is understood as a key driver of regional growth. Consequently, strategies to attract and retain talent are gaining importance on the policy agendas of most Spanish cities. However, there is still a lack of evidence about the effectiveness of such approaches for cities affected by demographic and economic decline. The research aims to contribute to this issue by analysing the working lives of a sample of knowledge workers between 2012 and 2016, including their migratory movements. Those were defined as skilled-workers carrying out creative occupations within companies. In the second part of the research, the authors look at the recent strategies used by local authorities in some of the most representative old industrial cities in the country (Ferrol, Avilés, Torrelavega). The main policy approaches are discussed, as are specific strategies, implemented to attract and retain skilled workers or reinforce the overall attractiveness of the cities.