Migrant workers are gaining ground in high value-added sectors.
In just five years, the number of foreign-born Social Security members has grown by one million.
MadridMigrant workers are gaining ground in high-value-added sectors, specifically in scientific and technical professional activities, as well as in those related to information and communication. In the former case, Social Security recorded a 7.8% increase in foreign workers across the country this March compared to March 2024, while in the latter case, the increase is 6.3%, as announced this Wednesday by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
"They are increasingly present in high-value-added and higher-skilled sectors," said Social Security Minister Elma Saiz at a press conference this Wednesday, describing the growth as "remarkable." Saiz insisted that these workers "are not only essential in strategic sectors, but are also gaining ground in high-value-added activities," she said. "Spain is a stronger, more diverse country with more opportunities," the minister insisted.
However, if we take into account the increase in foreign members of the general Social Security system as a whole (a total of 2,439,776 workers, once seasonality is discounted, which represents 6.7% more compared to March 2024), compared to a year ago the activities that continue transport and storage (25.6%), administrative activities (9.5%) and manufacturing (9.2%), as well as construction (8.8%) and hospitality. On the other hand, if the magnifying glass is placed on the monthly difference, between February and March of this year, on the eve of Easter, foreign employment is growing in sectors such as hospitality and transport and storage.
However, one sector that has seen a steady decline in the number of foreign workers registered with Social Security for months is household chores and care. March closed with a 0.55% drop in registrations compared to February, but compared to a year earlier, the drop in foreign contributors is 11.73%.
Record numbers
The data presented this Wednesday coincides with the first quarter of the year's balance regarding foreign Social Security contributors. On average, last March closed with an additional 46,807 foreign workers. A total of 2,921,205 foreign contributors were registered at the end of March. In seasonally adjusted terms, the number of contributors increased to 2,976,074, a new all-time high, according to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration. Compared to a year ago, there were an additional 190,601 foreign contributors, meaning that 41% of the jobs created in the last year were filled by migrants.
Of the total number of foreigners registered with Social Security at the end of March, 913,871 came from a European Union country (31.3%) and 2,007,334 from third countries (68.7%). The nationality with the greatest weight among foreign workers is Moroccan. They are followed by those born in Romania, Colombia, Italy, and Venezuela.
Saiz highlighted the "crucial role" of this group of workers in the current dynamism of the labor market, but also in light of the aging of the Spanish population. Thus, he emphasized the growth of migrant workers in terms of generational change in certain professions, and gave the example of the manufacturing sector, where their presence is actually growing the most.