Free house in Arenillas, Spain, but the job is a loss-making bar
Arenillas, a Spanish village of 45 residents, is offering a free house and a permanent contract, but the job means running an unviable bar. Rural Spain's depopulation crisis at its starkest.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Arenillas: the Spanish village of 45 residents giving away a house and a bar that loses money
Arenillas, a municipality in Soria with only 45 registered residents, has launched an offer that sounds like a fairy tale: a free renovated house and a permanent contract for anyone willing to move there. The small print, judging by the scepticism it has sparked, suggests the job consists of taking over the village's only bar. And that is where the numbers fall apart.
The paradox of empty Spain
The offer aims to fight depopulation, one of the chronic problems of rural Spain. But the business model does not add up. With 45 inhabitants and an average age of around 80, the bar's customers can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Daily takings, at best, are three coffees and the usual four glasses of wine. That does not cover the electricity bill, let alone the time invested.
Behind the initiative is the local council, looking for a good soul to keep a basic service open. The permanent contract does exist, yes, but the actual business cannot support a living. Anyone taking up the offer is not getting a job, but an escape route for the village at the expense of their savings and patience.
An opportunity for whom?
Some see the offer as a lifeline for people with no income. A paid-for house and a proper contract, even if the business runs at a loss, may be better than the street or long-term unemployment. But the arguments against carry more weight: if the bar is not profitable, the new resident will eventually leave and the village will remain empty. The cycle repeats itself.
Arenillas is not an isolated case. Dozens of municipalities in rural Spain offer similar incentives, and in almost all of them the only job available is the same: the local bar. The difference here is that the population is so small there is zero margin for error. With 45 residents, every closed house counts.
The paradox of empty Spain is laid bare: houses are given away and contracts offered, but the only possible job is a bar nobody knows how to make profitable. Meanwhile, Arenillas still has 45 inhabitants. Or fewer, if the bar ends up closing.
Arenillas, a municipality in Soria with only 45 registered residents, has launched an offer that sounds like a fairy tale: a free renovated house and a permanent contract for anyone willing to move there. The small print, judging by the scepticism it has sparked, suggests the job consists of taking over the village's only bar. And that is where the numbers fall apart.
The paradox of empty Spain
The offer aims to fight depopulation, one of the chronic problems of rural Spain. But the business model does not add up. With 45 inhabitants and an average age of around 80, the bar's customers can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Daily takings, at best, are three coffees and the usual four glasses of wine. That does not cover the electricity bill, let alone the time invested.
Behind the initiative is the local council, looking for a good soul to keep a basic service open. The permanent contract does exist, yes, but the actual business cannot support a living. Anyone taking up the offer is not getting a job, but an escape route for the village at the expense of their savings and patience.
An opportunity for whom?
Some see the offer as a lifeline for people with no income. A paid-for house and a proper contract, even if the business runs at a loss, may be better than the street or long-term unemployment. But the arguments against carry more weight: if the bar is not profitable, the new resident will eventually leave and the village will remain empty. The cycle repeats itself.
Arenillas is not an isolated case. Dozens of municipalities in rural Spain offer similar incentives, and in almost all of them the only job available is the same: the local bar. The difference here is that the population is so small there is zero margin for error. With 45 residents, every closed house counts.
The paradox of empty Spain is laid bare: houses are given away and contracts offered, but the only possible job is a bar nobody knows how to make profitable. Meanwhile, Arenillas still has 45 inhabitants. Or fewer, if the bar ends up closing.
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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 (19 replies).
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