WORKING
IN SPAIN
Many
people come over to Spain looking for work without doing
a little research into the options available. For people
looking for seasonal work in bars and restaurants in a
tourist area then there is a good chance that you would
be successful. For those living in areas where the mix
of tourists and local Spanish is more even then the job
seek all of sudden takes on a daunting feel.
Expats
will find that it is nearly impossible to find work in
hotels, shops, supermarkets, banks etc no matter what
their qualifications maybe. Even bars can be a problem
if you cannot speak the local language due to the amount
of Spanish custom the bar may have.
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This can be a
real problem for home owners who have relocated
to Spain with the view of picking up local jobs
only to be disappointed.
Many are then
forced into either returning home to work and
putting their permanent move on hold or they
start-up a business themselves. This can often
be high risk as you are entering an economy you
know little about.
This said there
are many people who have found work by becoming
employed by an expat that may started their own
successful business and are in need of some
extra staff. |
Others are
more fortunate and have found work in the lucrative real
estate industry as reps for some of the leading agents.
If you plan on getting involved in work of this nature
then some experience in the area and an ability to speak
or to pick up the Spanish language quickly would be a
great advantage.
Learning
the language will open up so many options for you so
taking private lessons or attending night schools is
something definitely worth considering.
Tax is
around the same percentage as back home and you will
have the benefits of paying your national insurance and
pension contributions so you can get free health care
allowances for you and your children.
With a low
cost of living you may find that the salaries in Spain
are lower than back home. As long as you are aware of
the employment options available in Spain before you
arrive you will be able to make financial plans to allow
for a period of time without any sustainable income.
There is still a lot of
employment in the black economy with many vacancies such
as bar and restaurant work paying cash in hand. The
problem with this type of work (other than being
illegal) is that you have no protection. If the
restaurant is not busy, the owner may send you home and
you do not get paid. You only get paid what you work.
Contract work is much
better. You have to pay tax and national insurance but
if you are planning on staying for the long haul then
this is no problem because you are paying into a
pension. You also receive discounted healthcare for you
and all of your family. Contract work also means 20-30
days paid holiday leave per annum along with sickness
pay. Contract work has many benefits as opposed to
working in the black economy.
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