The business organization estimates that Aragón will end 2026 with growth of around 2.2%, while it expects this to moderate to approximately 2% next year. “The macroeconomic situation is performing better than expected,” Longás explained, although the outlook remains marked by high uncertainty.
Export performance is among the main positive points. CEOE Aragón particularly highlights the recovery of the automotive industry, as well as sectors such as household appliances and lifting equipment. The situation is different in part of the agri-food industry, where the meat subsector has recorded a decline of close to 13%, while other products, such as eggs, are increasing their overseas sales.
CONCERN OVER THE FALL IN INVESTMENT
Investment is precisely one of the indicators causing the greatest concern among companies. After an especially positive 2025, CEOE Aragón has noted a significant decline in foreign investment this year and hopes that the major technology projects announced for the region will help restore momentum. “It is important that we recover it, and soon,” Longás said.
The employers’ organization is also closely monitoring price trends. Inflation stood at 4.3% in the latest figure cited by CEOE, although the organization expects it could end the year at around 3.4%. Companies warn that increases in energy, labor, logistics and raw material costs cannot always be passed on to consumers. “The results we have at the end of the year may not be as positive as in other years, or may be more negative in the worst cases,” Longás acknowledged.
FEWER PROCEDURES AND GREATER ADMINISTRATIVE EFFICIENCY
Another major obstacle identified by CEOE Aragón is bureaucracy. The organization is calling for greater consistency among the various administrations, simpler procedures and faster response times. Its proposals include the effective implementation of a one-stop shop, the creation of a single digital file, the elimination of redundant documentation and the strengthening of tools such as responsible declarations and positive administrative silence.
Longás specifically warned about the delays affecting some business and innovation projects. “We must not go beyond months, when we are already taking years,” he lamented. CEOE Aragón believes that this lack of efficiency could ultimately undermine competitiveness and drive investment away, while also making it more difficult for companies to deal with the administrations themselves.
EMPLOYMENT, BUT NOT ENOUGH PROFESSIONALS TO FILL VACANCIES
The labor market appears to be in a positive situation, with Aragón’s unemployment rate at around 8.1%, but companies are increasingly struggling to recruit certain profiles. “Something so positive also has an opposing side,” Longás said, warning of widespread difficulties in finding qualified workers suited to the needs of each sector.
CEOE Aragón is therefore calling for vocational training and dual vocational training to be adapted more quickly to the real demands of the market. Longás cited the growth of profiles linked to data analysis and new technologies as an example, and also pointed to difficulties in finding teachers specializing in technological subjects. “We have to seek different solutions, we have to be a little more creative and, above all, our future depends on innovation,” he argued.
DATA CENTERS, KEY TO ARAGÓN’S FUTURE
The employers’ organization hopes that the arrival of the major technology projects and data centers announced in Aragón will eventually act as a driving force for other sectors, particularly construction, and help attract and retain talent. CEOE also wants these investments to have a broader impact on the economy as a whole and enable the use of artificial intelligence to spread among companies in Aragón, boosting productivity and competitiveness.
Despite the uncertainties, Longás maintains a positive view of the coming months. “There is a good starting point, and we have some questions,” he summarized, distinguishing between external factors linked to geopolitics and the macroeconomy, and those over which Aragón has greater capacity to act, particularly talent, training, labor relations and speeding up investment.
