Barcelona, Spain
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| Rank: | City: | Change in Employment (10-11) | Change in Income (10-11) | Income per Capita | GDP | Population: |
| 8 | Barcelona | -1.2% | +0.2% |
$29,767
| $162 billion | 5.43 million |
Barcelona, one of the country's most prideful regions, has been slammed by Spain's hapless economy. The metropolitan region experienced significantly strong growth with a pre-recession boom between 1997 and 2007, carried on the shoulders of housing construction. The employment increased an average of 3.3% per year which was one of the highest rates in Europe. Then the recession hit and now Barcelona remains one of the slowest growing cities in the world, with a 1.2% drop in employment between 2010 and 2011 and income barely moving again.
