Foreign Workers Filled 58% of New Jobs in Spain

The Olive Press

Foreign nationals accounted for 58% of Spain’s employment growth in the year to June 2026. For the first time since records began in 2012, their increase exceeded that among Spanish nationals, according to Social Security data cited by The Olive Press.

Who Is Moving to Spain

A year earlier, migrants accounted for 42% of employment growth. At that time, the number of employed Spanish nationals rose by 271,200, while foreign employment increased by 187,900. By June 2026, the year-on-year increase among foreign nationals had reached 350,200. The figure for Spaniards changed only slightly, amounting to 255,100. Foreign workers therefore overtook local residents in their contribution to employment growth for the first time since the data series began in 2012.

Workers from Latin American countries recorded the largest increase, rising by 198,900 over the year. Colombian nationals posted the biggest gain (+72,700), followed by Venezuelans (+43,700) and Peruvians (+27,800). By June, Spain employed 1.23 million people from Latin America, exceeding the 1.19 million workers from other European countries for the first time.

The number of workers from African countries increased by 81,900 over the year, while the Asian workforce expanded by 30,200. Both gains exceeded those recorded in the previous period. Moroccans remain the largest foreign group in Spain’s labour market, with 422,300 people registered with the Social Security system, 47,300 more than a year earlier.

Spain’s Migrant Regularisation Programme

These changes have been linked to the migrant regularisation programme announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in early 2026. The application period opened on 16 April and ended on 30 June. It was available to undocumented foreign nationals and applicants for international protection who had arrived before 1 January 2026 and had lived continuously in Spain for at least five months.

Applicants had to prove that they had no criminal record and posed no threat to public order, public safety or public health. They were also required to meet one of three conditions: to have previously worked under a legal contract or operated their own business, to have close relatives in Spain, or to demonstrate that they were in a vulnerable situation.

Once an application was admitted for processing, the applicant received the right to live and work in any region and sector, as well as a personal Social Security number. Following approval, adult applicants had one month to apply for a Foreigner Identity Card, known as a TIE. The initial permit was valid for one year, after which recipients had to move to one of the standard forms of legal residence. Minors received five-year permits.

Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz described the programme as one of the government’s key decisions. The authorities said the measure was intended to guarantee migrants’ rights and provide legal certainty. Sánchez estimated that almost 500,000 people could qualify and described the initiative as recognition of an existing reality: these people work, run businesses and raise children in Spain.

EU Countries Criticised Spain

Following the events in Ceuta, the leaders of 22 EU member states, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, criticised Spain’s migrant regularisation programme. They argued that Madrid’s decision could undermine the security of the bloc’s external borders, Politico reported.

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, the signatories expressed “serious concern” and described the large-scale granting of legal status as a pull factor for irregular migration. According to the publication, the programme could cover up to 1.2 million people. The EU leaders argued that such measures created the impression that irregular entry could ultimately lead to lawful residence in the bloc.

Madrid rejected any connection between the regularisation scheme and the events in Ceuta. Spain’s Foreign Ministry stressed that only foreign nationals who had been in the country before 1 January 2026 and had lived there continuously for at least five months were eligible. Moreover, the application deadline expired on 30 June, meaning that migrants who arrived later could not qualify.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the position of Spain’s European partners as selfish and unlawful. The leaders who signed the letter called for closer coordination of migration policy at the EU level and stronger protection of the bloc’s external borders.

Conclusion

International Investment analysts note that Spain continues to offer some of the most lenient conditions for foreign nationals in the EU. At the same time, the number of offences involving migrants is rising. Spain’s longstanding regularisation policy may lead some migrants to expect that they will eventually obtain legal status, thereby encouraging irregular entry. Foreign nationals also account for a significant share of those implicated in illegal property occupation cases. The authorities have begun revising rules designed to protect property rights, but the housing market remains under strain.

Most EU countries have chosen the opposite course by strengthening border controls, making it harder to obtain asylum and residence permits, and accelerating deportations. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years. Spain may therefore have to reconsider its migration policy under pressure from its European partners. At the same time, demographic decline and labour shortages are major challenges across the EU and are partly addressed by attracting foreign workers. Completely rejecting migration is therefore unrealistic for Madrid. The authorities will most likely step up efforts against irregular entry while preserving opportunities for foreign workers needed by the labour market.