76% of new jobs in Spain filled by foreigners amid labor shortage claims
In Spain, 76% of new hires are foreign workers. Experts argue low wages and poor conditions deter locals, not a lack of available labor.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
76% of new hires: Labor shortage or poverty wages?
The data is stark: 76% of new jobs in Spain are filled by foreign workers, according to an Antena 3 report that has reignited the debate on the labor market. But the discussion goes far beyond the numbers: the underlying issue points to precarious salaries, abusive conditions, and a gap between what companies offer and what domestic workers demand.
Low pay, migrant labor
The dominant thesis is that wages are so low that Spaniards, especially young people, prefer studying for civil service exams or seeking alternatives rather than accepting €1,200 monthly jobs requiring 12-hour days. As noted in the debate, "If working doesn't allow you to have an apartment, a partner, and children, what's the point?" Immigrants, often in irregular situations, accept these conditions out of necessity, creating a dual market where national labor is excluded.
The role of the State and subsidies
Another recurring argument suggests that small benefits distort the market: if receiving a subsidy allows for a dignified life, many reject poorly paid work. However, the counterpoint is that those same positions, if improved with better wages and conditions, would attract Spanish workers. The evidence that foreign hiring concentrates in sectors like construction or hospitality is no coincidence: these are niches where precarity is the norm.
Necessary immigration or planned replacement?
A more skeptical current sees behind this data a deliberate demographic replacement strategy, supported by businesses to keep wages low. Declining birth rates and aging populations would be the perfect pretext to import cheap labor. In contrast, those defending immigration argue that without it, key sectors would collapse, and that many immigrants eventually start businesses or improve their situation.
The paradox of wages versus cost of living
The debate does not clarify whether the problem is employment or housing. A salary of €1,500 may be insufficient in Madrid, but in mid-sized cities allows for comfortable living. Meanwhile, employers complain that Spaniards don't want to work, but data shows that offers with decent conditions receive massive responses. The ball is in the court of those willing to pay what the work is worth.
90% of new jobs in 2025 went to foreigners, according to the Real Instituto Elcano (a Spanish think tank). This figure, cited in the debate, reinforces the trend: as long as wages do not rise, the gap between labor supply and demand will be covered by immigration. The remaining question is whether this model is sustainable or if, as some predict, it will lead to social fracture.
Related forum discussions
The data is stark: 76% of new jobs in Spain are filled by foreign workers, according to an Antena 3 report that has reignited the debate on the labor market. But the discussion goes far beyond the numbers: the underlying issue points to precarious salaries, abusive conditions, and a gap between what companies offer and what domestic workers demand.
Low pay, migrant labor
The dominant thesis is that wages are so low that Spaniards, especially young people, prefer studying for civil service exams or seeking alternatives rather than accepting €1,200 monthly jobs requiring 12-hour days. As noted in the debate, "If working doesn't allow you to have an apartment, a partner, and children, what's the point?" Immigrants, often in irregular situations, accept these conditions out of necessity, creating a dual market where national labor is excluded.
The role of the State and subsidies
Another recurring argument suggests that small benefits distort the market: if receiving a subsidy allows for a dignified life, many reject poorly paid work. However, the counterpoint is that those same positions, if improved with better wages and conditions, would attract Spanish workers. The evidence that foreign hiring concentrates in sectors like construction or hospitality is no coincidence: these are niches where precarity is the norm.
Necessary immigration or planned replacement?
A more skeptical current sees behind this data a deliberate demographic replacement strategy, supported by businesses to keep wages low. Declining birth rates and aging populations would be the perfect pretext to import cheap labor. In contrast, those defending immigration argue that without it, key sectors would collapse, and that many immigrants eventually start businesses or improve their situation.
The paradox of wages versus cost of living
The debate does not clarify whether the problem is employment or housing. A salary of €1,500 may be insufficient in Madrid, but in mid-sized cities allows for comfortable living. Meanwhile, employers complain that Spaniards don't want to work, but data shows that offers with decent conditions receive massive responses. The ball is in the court of those willing to pay what the work is worth.
90% of new jobs in 2025 went to foreigners, according to the Real Instituto Elcano (a Spanish think tank). This figure, cited in the debate, reinforces the trend: as long as wages do not rise, the gap between labor supply and demand will be covered by immigration. The remaining question is whether this model is sustainable or if, as some predict, it will lead to social fracture.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (144 replies).
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