HOW TO FIND A JOB IN MADRID
Madrid is a beautiful dynamic city and the capital of Spain, the main political, economic and cultural center of the state. It is quite a comfortable place to live and build a professional career. Jobs in Madrid for foreigners in 2024 is available in many fields, including industry, medicine, trade, tourism and construction. But finding a job in the local labor market is not easy at all.
In addition to employment, many foreigners open a business in Spain, buy real estate and study at prestigious Spanish universities, for example, the largest institution of higher education in the country – the Complutense University of Madrid. Compared to many other cities, the capital of Spain has higher income and employment opportunities.
The specifics of employment, job search options, current vacancies and salaries in Madrid in 2024 are discussed below.
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Specifics of labor migration to Madrid
During the last 10 years, the Spanish economy has experienced significant difficulties, but the situation is gradually stabilizing. Due to its favorable geographical position, Madrid is the most important business center and transportation hub of the country. For example, the local airport of Barajas serves about 50 million passengers a year. Perhaps only work in Barcelona attracts a comparable number of migrant workers to the Spanish capital, but Madrid is considered a better city for finding a job.
Madrid's population in 2024 is about 3.3 million. According to various estimates, 15% of the local population is of foreign origin. The largest ethnic groups are represented by citizens of Latin America and China. In addition, the city is home to many immigrants from European Union member states. In general, life in Madrid is very interesting and varied, and prices for food and some other goods are lower than in many world capitals.
One of the most pressing problems in Spain is unemployment, which averages 11% and reaches 35% among young people. Unfortunately, this fact significantly complicates the process of finding a job in Madrid. Even though the employment rate in the capital is a few percent higher compared to other regions, and unemployment is lower (about 10%). Nevertheless, jobs in Madrid can be found, but for official employment you need to pass a number of procedural requirements.
In particular, for legal employment in Madrid, foreigners who are not citizens of one of the countries of the European Union, EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Switzerland must first find a job, sign a contract with a local employer, obtain a work permit and open a work visa to Spain. At the same time, in most cases, the workplace should not be claimed by Spaniards or Europeans.
Usually the paperwork procedure takes no more than 3 months. The standard work permit is issued for one year with the right of further extension. After moving to Spain, it is necessary to issue a residence permit, obtain a foreigner identification number (NIE), register with the local tax and social security authorities.
How to find a job in Madrid
Getting a work permit in Madrid at the local Ministry of Labor for applicants from third countries is quite difficult. Almost all responsibility for the paperwork is on the employer, so a foreigner must have a number of competitive advantages over Spanish and European workers. First of all, they must have high qualification, experience, in-demand profession and language skills. Without knowledge of Spanish or English at a good level to find a job in Madrid is virtually unreal.
Madrid is the largest business center of the country and an important financial core of Europe. There are many large international companies, which are often interested in the services of English-speaking foreigners. Create a competent resume and cover letter using the Spanish sample. Highlight unique skills and professionalism. Write job offers to employers directly.
Here are some major companies in Madrid – Accenture, Indra Sistemas, IBM, Amadeus, Mercedes Benz, Ericsson. Visit the Spanish capital for tourism purposes and try to make business connections locally. The northern part of the city concentrates business activities and the eastern part hosts major trade fairs. Madrid is home to about 16% of all companies registered in Spain. Visit thematic forums, social networking groups and search for job openings online.
Search for jobs in Madrid
Spanish Public Employment Service – empleate.gob.es
Professional social network – linkedin.com
Official recruitment agencies in Madrid – sistemanacionalempleo.es
Popular job search sites in Madrid
infojobs.net
jobsinmadrid.es
thelocal.es
Popular newspapers in Madrid
El PaÃs
El Mundo
If your search for a job in Madrid without an intermediary is unsuccessful, you can use the services of local employment offices. However, this option is only available to foreigners already legally residing in Spain.
Jobs and salary in Madrid
The vast majority of salaried workers in the Madrid labor market are employed in the service sector – 86.3%, in industry 8.8%, in construction 4.7%, while agriculture accounts for only 0.2%. In 2024, the minimum wage in Spain is set at 1,323 euros per month. The average income of Spaniards is 2,075.43 euros before taxes. Wages in Madrid are significantly higher. According to the Spanish Statistical Institute, an average of 3,000 euros.
Of course, pay in Madrid depends on qualifications, experience, the specific company and profession. For example, financial analysts and dentists get more than 4,000 euros, and ordinary waiters and assistant cooks about 1,000. In addition, up to 25% of the capital's workers are employed on a temporary basis, so wages can be noticeably adjusted depending on the season. This is especially true for tourism and construction, where jobs in Madrid for foreigners are common.
The generator of jobs and the economic foundation of the Spanish capital is the service sector. For example, jobs in Madrid in 2024 are available in wholesale and retail trade, logistics and tourism industry. It is worth paying attention to finance, marketing and information technology. Programmers and engineers are required. Women with no particular qualifications and weak Spanish skills can try to find a job in Madrid as a nanny or caregiver.
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