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WORKING IN SPAIN

The changes to job contracts in Spain in September 2023

Important changes regarding incentives employers receive for hiring certain types of workers come into force in September 1st and will impact any contracts signed after that date.

job contracts spain
A new incentives system for job contracts in Spain begins on September 1st 2023. Photo: Christof STACHE / AFP

These changes introduce a new system of incentives for hiring, with a special focus on permanent contracts and hiring vulnerable groups, particularly women and the long-term unemployed, the over 45s, and young people under 30.

From September, a new law (Royal Decree-Law 1/2023 to be specific) will create incentives for employment contracts and improving social protections for Spanish workers.

Regardless of when, how or if a new government that comes in, these new measures will be implemented with a view to favouring indefinite-term contracts and vulnerable groups.

One of the major pieces of the legislation concerns benefits that some companies will receive when hiring certain employees.

Rewarding permanent contracts

One of the main objectives of the new law is creating stable employment, as well as promoting the hiring of groups considered vulnerable and the long-term unemployed.

As such, companies that take on people like this will receive certain fixed tax deductions:

Long-term unemployed men under 45: €110 per month for three years.

Long-term unemployed women: €128 per month for three years.

Long-term unemployed and aged 45 or over: €128 per month for three years.

Hiring people with a certificate of social exclusion: €128 per month for four years.

Hiring victims of terrorism: €128 per month for four years.

Hiring women who are victims of gender violence: €128 per month for four years.

People with intellectual disabilities: €128 per month for four years.

People with permanent or absolute disability: €138 per month for two years.

Young people under 30 with low qualifications: €275 per month for three years.

READ ALSO: How a spike in permanent contracts is improving job security in Spain

Benefits coming to an end

As of September 1st, a series of benefits that are currently in force will also come to an end. One of these to go will be benefits for hiring family members (except for people with disabilities).

The hiring bonuses will also disappear for workers who have been in the same company for the last 12 months with a permanent contract, as well as for those who have been in the same company for the previous six months with a temporary or training contract.

In addition, the total rebate for contracts with unemployed workers for the replacement of workers due to maternity, fostering and adoption will end.

This benefit will be reduced from 100 percent to a flat €336 rate in two cases:

– For fixed-term contracts made to unemployed people under 30 years of age, to replace workers receiving economic benefits for risk during pregnancy or risk during breastfeeding.

– For fixed-term contracts for unemployed persons under 30 years of age, to replace workers receiving economic benefits for childbirth and childcare.

Other benefits to companies that will be reduced are those related to part-time contracts. In these cases, the amount of the bonuses will be reduced proportionally, while part-time contracts of less than 50 percent of the full-time working day will not be incentivised, except in cases of work-life balance leave.

READ ALSO: What are the types of work contracts in Spain and which one is the best?

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WORKING IN SPAIN

Not English: The languages linked to high-paying jobs in Spain

It is generally thought that if you speak English, you will have access to more, better and higher paying jobs overseas, but that's not necessarily the case in Spain.

Not English: The languages linked to high-paying jobs in Spain

It’s obvious that language skills are very important when applying for certain jobs and that some companies are attracted to applications from those who speak more than one.

A common belief in Spain, particularly among locals, is that if you learn English then you’ll have access to better-paying jobs within Spain.

Therefore, it might be surprising to learn that according to a recent study from online, language learning marketplace Preply, it’s not English or even French that’s the most economically valuable foreign language in Spain, it’s Romanian.

The company analysed a total of 500,000 job vacancies in Spain in order to find out which languages ​​are the most economically profitable and which have the greatest demand.  

All the job vacancies were listed on job search engine Adzuna or were from advertisements that explicitly sought foreign language skills.

The study revealed that those who speak Romanian earn an average annual salary of €82,865, almost triple the average Spanish salary, which is €29,113.

In second place was Portuguese, with speakers earning an average of €68,120. This was followed by Arabic, whose speakers earn an average salary of €67,357.  In fourth place was Greek, with an average salary of €58,333 and then French, with an average annual salary of €54,725.

English didn’t even feature in the top five languages when it came to those earning the most in Spain. In fact, it came in ninth place, with speakers earning €49,000 on average.

While English speakers may not be earning the top salary here, it is however still one of the most useful languages to know (other than Spanish) as the study found that it was required by the most number of foreign companies in Spain – 16,000 in total.  

In second place, when it came to useful languages was German. However, the number of companies requiring candidates to speak it was much less than English, with a total of 2,040 vacancies.

READ ALSO: Why are the Spanish ‘so bad’ at English?

Why is Romanian such a profitable language to know in Spain?

It largely comes down to the fact that there are more than half a million Romanians living in Spain. A total of 627,478 in 2022, according to the latest figures available from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE)

Rapid growth in the Romanian-speaking population means that there’s a greater need for Romanian translators and interpreters here. 

The majority of these translators are in the court system and National Police. Romanian, along with Arabic, makes up 50 percent of the court translation requests.

Since 2008, interpreters for the police have been in such great demand that they have had to outsource to specialised companies.

Because of the scarcity of translators who speak these languages specifically and the greater demand, these positions usually come with high salaries.

It has been reported that this year alone, the police will spend around €850,000 per month to translate conversations intercepted from criminals. 

Over the last 10 years, the budget for hiring translators and interpreters has increased dramatically. Currently, the police pay around €26 per hour.

Recently, the Spanish Cabinet authorised the Interior Ministry to bid for new contracts so that the National Police will have access to better interpreter services.  

The budget for this is set at €39.7 million, which is much higher than what was available before.  

Currently, the National Police can request translators in several languages ​​divided into categories according to the frequency of use.  

English, French, German and standard Arabic are some of the most requested, followed by Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, Romanian, Italian, Polish and Dutch.

Serbian, Bambara, Bengali, Iranian, Persian, Farsi, Armenian and Igbo interpreters are also sought-after.

These translators must have a qualification and experience and must be available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. When requested, they must appear at the required police station within a maximum time that ranges between 90 minutes and four hours, depending on the language they speak and the distance they have to travel. This goes some way to explain why they are paid so much.    

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