Analysis of agricultural employment in the most rural regions of the European Union | Analyse de l'emploi agricole dans les regions les plus rurales de l'Union europeenne

The regional study is made at a NUTS 2 level (Belgian province, French region, etc.). The work is organised in two parts. The first part locates and characterizes the most rural regions of the European Union in an objective way: the analyses are based on objective criteria, allowing homogeneous perception of the rurality concept throughout the European territory. Two types of analysis are retained. Firstly, the multivariate statistical analyses (analyses in principal components and numerical classifications) are carried out on variables relating to space and population, socio-economic aspects and agriculture The results make it possible to differentiate several groups of regions among which some present a rural "profile". Secondly, analyses based on the gravitational models to show slightly attractive regions. The results of the multivariate analyses and the gravitational analyses are then crossed and thirty regions are defined as the most rural ones. They cover the most northern part of Europe as well as the major part of the Mediterranean basin. These regions correspond partly to those eligible for the Objectives 1, 5b and 6 of the Structural Funds. For the thirty regions selected, agricultural employment is analyzed from an intersectoral and structural point of view, by comparing their situation to the Community and the national values. These comparisons enable characterization of the specificities of agricultural employment in the most rural regions: important agricultural employment rate, low economic dimension of farms, less productivity, production cell based on family manpower, etc. Moreover these comparisons highlight several realities of agricultural employment within the most rural regions. Certain regions are in the process of conversion and are generally entering a tertiarisation of their economy. Others use their comparative advantages in agriculture having a positive impact on agricultural employment. Lastly, in certain regions, the social function of agriculture predominates and agricultural employment contributes to avoid increasing unemployment. These facts are major elements to be taken into consideration within the framework of the reforms to come from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). This thesis ends with a deep analysis of the agricultural employment situation in the rural regions of Spain.