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Page | 11 www.boostress.eu contributed to the reduction of GDP generated by the construction industry in Spain; which shrunk from its double-digit percentages of the GDP in the 2000s (11.6% of GDP and 13.8% of the workforce in 2005) to less than half by 2013 (5.6% of GDP, 6.1% of the workforce). However, the rise in unemployment at this time was not limited to the construction industry in Spain, as nationally employment rates fell from over 20.7 million individuals employed in 2007 to just under 17 million at the beginning of 2014 (INE, 2014). These figures provide some insight into how the Spanish economy was impacted by the economic recession which hit many European economies in the late 2000s, and the effects of this recession are still being felt by some EU Member States. As such, measures to help employees to face and manage their stress, anxiety and depression as a result of all they have experienced in their employment is needed in countries who were worst affected by the economic downturn. In Spain, the department for social security (Seguridad Social) requires that employers must inform their employees about stress- related risks and have a registered partner of the social security inspect their workplace environment and give advice to employees and employers on how to improve the climate at work. In relation to specific measures which address workplace stress of young professionals, the government in Spain offers Garantía Juvenil (Youth Guarantee). This programme is supports employers to hire individuals under the age of 25, who have no prior work experience. This programme runs for one year, and provides graduates and young people with limited work experience with access to part-time employment. While this programme tackles in issue of youth unemployment, and also underemployment, it does not directly address the stress management of young professionals; only that it provides them with practical experience in the workplace which will ultimately build their competence and resilience as employees. In relation to specific training programmes and resources that could be used to develop workplace stress management skills of young employees, no such resources were identified during the literature review exercise in Spain. While there are programmes on “Mindfulness” that are popular in Andalucia; these programmes are fee-paying and so they can often be inaccessible to low-paid, young professionals who perhaps most need this support. Researchers in Spain were able to identify one resource which can be used by these young professionals to help them to manage their stress. This is a guidebook on stress management by the Spanish association of specialists in work-related medicine, Asociación Española de Especialistas en Medicina del Trabajo – AEEMT. The book details the how to diagnose stress and how to treat it and so it can be a useful resource for young employees (AEEMT, 2016). In terms of resources and supports that are available in Spain to help young employees to manage their stress, researchers were not able to identify any training programmes or supports. However, as is noted by the Spanish researchers, while there exists some awareness among medical experts (like the AEEMT), the general public seems to not attribute much importance to the issue; with their focus mostly targeted at creating jobs and sustainable employment opportunities, rather than how to management workplace stress and anxiety. Undertaking Empirical Research in Europe To complete empirical research on a European level, BooStress project partners implemented online surveys with young employees in other EU Member States, and FIPL conducted information focus group sessions with 5 relevant stakeholders from across Europe. As the BooStress project aims to develop a suite of training materials to support young Europeans to develop their skills and competences to be able to manage stress in the workplace more effectively; it was necessary to conduct some research