Spain is experiencing strong economic growth - thanks to a boom in construction, thriving tourism and investments in alternative energy sources.
But this upswing would not have been possible without foreign workers, who work mainly in hotels, construction sites and gastronomy. Nearly 90% of newly created jobs are taken by foreigners.
The Spaniards themselves prefer better-paid activities, as well as those that do not require much physical exertion.
The Spanish bank BBVA also identifies migration as an important reason for the growth of the Spanish economy. It limits the consequences of demographic changes. But at the same time, more attention should be paid to the qualifications of foreigners, who should not only perform low-skilled work.
Spain attracts 600,000 people annually
"Foreign workers are our solution to dealing with the shortage of personnel. Without them, we would not be able to accept so many tourists", hotel managers told DW. In parallel, the country is building very intensively - whether in resorts or in Madrid, again mostly thanks to migrants.
n-tv notes that while other European countries are currently not trying to stimulate migration, but quite the opposite, Spain is betting on a more liberal approach. According to data from the think tank Real Instituto Elcano, 600,000 people have arrived in Spain annually since the end of the pandemic - mainly from Latin America. A common language and existing contacts facilitate integration into the labor market.
The think tank notes that many industries are dependent on migrants. In the field of home services, 72 percent of those employed are migrants, in gastronomy - 45 percent. In construction, it is no different.
Labor productivity remains low
The most jobs are being created in sectors that have seen growth in recent years, such as tourism. In just two years, 20 million more tourists have come to Spain. And there are hundreds of thousands of migrants working in the field.
An example of this is Salvador Gallardo's restaurant on the Mediterranean. Only one Spanish woman works in the kitchen - the rest of the employees are from North Africa or South America. It is precisely these people who are responsible for the growth of Spain's gross domestic product - a growth higher than that of other European countries. But does this mean that everyone is feeling good?
"The country's wealth is growing on the basis of high indicators, but people's well-being, which ultimately matters to the majority of the population, has not grown enough", explains Carmen González Enriquez, who studies the labor market, to DW.
What is the explanation? Productivity in Spain has not been particularly high for decades. And if the number of employees is growing significantly, it does not follow that productivity is also growing. In the construction sector, for example, companies are looking for ways to increase efficiency - not least because the difficulties in finding personnel have not completely disappeared. The goal they set is to be able to build faster through automation.
"Spain attracts talent"
According to studies, migrants who perform skilled work are still a minority. But Spain is becoming increasingly interesting for companies and professionals. This development is even being observed in Andalusia, which for decades was known mainly as a resort. For example, a technology park has been built in Malaga, where more and more international talents and managers with international experience have come to work since the end of the pandemic.
Pablo Alifano, director of the technology company "Talan", says that his company employs people of more than 28 nationalities. "One of the main reasons for settling in Malaga is that the city attracts international talent. For the company, of course, everything related to the quality of life, the climate, the food, the people and this ecosystem is important - because this city attracts talent."
Author: Markus Bönisch