Carrying out an analysis of the trends and characteristics of the Spanish labour market brings home the reality of the dreadful employment situation and highlights how the crisis has affected the way in which people search for work in Spain.
With a greater rate of unemployment and the social problems that this brings with it, many believe that the labour market in Spain has a structural problem. The global economic crisis is the principal cause of the rise in the level of unemployment in almost all countries, but in Spain the impact has been particularly bad.
Although the number of job offers has reduced notably in Spain, some labour sectors are dealing with the difficulties the crisis has given rise to better than others.
The main characteristics of the labour market in Spain
- Increased rate of unemployment. One of the highest in the European Union and even in the world.
- Very high rate of youth unemployment, at 58%. Many young adults are searching for their first job.
- The majority of contracts are temporary.
- Half of the unemployed Spanish workers are long term. In other words, they have been over two years without a job.
- High demographic concentration of job offers and the zone with most unemployment; Madrid, Catalonia and the Basque Country are the areas in Spain with the most job offers.
- Appearance of new labour sectors such as online marketing.
- Large increase in self-employment or freelance work.
- The majority of job offers correspond to the service sectors.
Market labour trends in Spain
Depending on the company and the sector, there are certain occupations with more demand than others. All have the following in common:
- Training of higher education qualification, especially skills related with new technologies or economics.
- Knowledge of languages, especially english. Candidates with knowledge of Chinese and Russian are also being sought after.
- Availability to move, in some cases internationally.
- Understanding and knowledge of new technologies, especially related with the internet.