Las preguntas sobre Espana

[El Extranjero]

Questions about Spain

OK, i know the economy is really bad in Spain now but what are my chances of getting a job in the the next year or so, many of my friends have left my country, i would do anything really,it doesn't have to be a high paid job but something like 200-250 euros a week,all my friends have left here and i don't see any point in sticking around

Sorry for putting this in the wrong section

[Perikles]

Unless you have a very particular skill, I would say that the chances of your finding work are absolute zero. I live in Tenerife, which is in a similar situation to Mainland Spain, and the situation is dire. Over half of people under 30 are unemployed, unemployment benefits are running out, people are desperate with crime increasing, muggings more common and xenophobia on the increase. People will do anything to keep going.

Add to that the automatic preference of native Spanish to give work to the Spanish and not a foreigner, why would anybody give you a job?

Perhaps the only exception is if you teach English as a foreign language, but you will need good references and certificates for that.

I should add that although you are entitled to live here under EU law (assuming you are British), you still need to prove you can keep yourself, and more importantly, be able to demonstrate you have medical insurance. That or hang around as an illegal immigrant, which is risky.

By the way, not many people in Spain earn 200-250 euros a week for the kind of work you seem to be suggesting.

Sorry not to be more positive, but that's the reality.

[Premium]

Originally Posted by Perikles

Over half of people under 30 are unemployed, unemployment benefits are running out, people are desperate with crime increasing, muggings more common and xenophobia on the increase. People will do anything to keep going.

That's shocking. Many Spaniards have moved to Austria recently to find a job. What about students who are well-educated, how are their chances to find a job?
The economy seems to be contracting in the entire European Union. The unemployment rate is raising rapidly in Austria as well and is now up to 4,5% or 4,7%.

What is the minimum wage for 40h a week in Spain?

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Premium

That's shocking. Many Spaniards have moved to Austria recently to find a job. What about students who are well-educated, how are their chances to find a job?

Oddly, no better than unskilled workers because there are too many chasing very few jobs requiring their qualifications. So they go abroad or do temporary work such as waiter, cleaner, anything which brings in something.

Originally Posted by Premium

What is the minimum wage for 40h a week in Spain?

Theoretically €645 per month. In practice, the ridiculous employment laws mean that nobody these days gets a permanent contract, because they can't get fired and get redundancy pay. So everyone is on temporary contracts as casual labour and being paid less than that.

One very cynical and common move is that where people do have a work contract, employers often just stop paying them. This means that the employee has to decide either to work for nothing or leave and lose any benefits such as social security and health insurance. If they leave, they have nothing. A local instance of this is the group of beach lifeguards who have not been paid by the Town Hall for almost a year. The joke is that they are legally obliged to carry on working because it is a requirement for public safety, so they are actually forced labour. There is of course some legal action, but this takes years and meanwhile they rely on charity. Absolutely ridiculous state of affairs.

[Premium]

That sounds pretty depressive. Does the majority at least get by with unemployment benefit? The amount of clandestine worker must be very high.

Originally Posted by Perikles

Theoretically €645 per month. In practice, the ridiculous employment laws mean that nobody these days gets a permanent contract, because they can't get fired and get redundancy pay. So everyone is on temporary contracts as casual labour and being paid less than that.

This reminds me of an incident of some apprentices in Austria. The employer refused to pay them so three apprentices charged him after 3 months. They got the missing payment including some compensation and a new apprenticeship. Nowadays there's no firm that gives you a permanent contract over here. Those who got it before 2001 may keep it, though.

Originally Posted by Perikles

One very cynical and common move is that where people do have a work contract, employers often just stop paying them. This means that the employee has to decide either to work for nothing or leave and lose any benefits such as social security and health insurance. If they leave, they have nothing. A local instance of this is the group of beach lifeguards who have not been paid by the Town Hall for almost a year. The joke is that they are legally obliged to carry on working because it is a requirement for public safety, so they are actually forced labour. There is of course some legal action, but this takes years and meanwhile they rely on charity. Absolutely ridiculous state of affairs.

I wouldn't have imagined it so bad. :S

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by Premium

That sounds pretty depressive depressing. Does the majority at least get by with unemployment benefit? The amount of clandestine worker must be very high.

The maximum length of unemployment benefit is 2 years, after that, 6 months of 'ayuda' of €400, after that, nothing. The Canaries has a population of around 2 million. Of these, the number of people beyond this state help is 130,314. That is 44% of the registered umemployed.

In April there were 385,600 out of work. 118,000 households have no person in them earning anything (legally).

These figures do not include those who are still in work but who do not get paid. This figure is unknowable.

Hard Times

[Premium]

Originally Posted by Perikles

The maximum length of unemployment benefit is 2 years, after that, 6 months of 'ayuda' of €400, after that, nothing. The Canaries has a population of around 2 million. Of these, the number of people beyond this state help is 130,314. That is 44% of the registered umemployed.

Thank you for the correction.

What about people who can't work due to specific diseases?
In Austria, people who suffer from mental illness mostly take early retirement for some years.
After 6 months of unemployment you are on welfare until you find a job. The benefit varies from your previous salary, which can go up to several thousand euros. Some people have no official work on purpose so they are on welfare and do some black labor.

It must be very hard for many families who can't find any job and eventually being cut on welfare.

Anyways, thank you for the information, Perikles.