How foreign workers helped spur Spain’s rapid economic growth

In a cavernous production plant in Spain, people from 62 nationalities work together to keep a food company running smoothly, highlighting the significant contribution of foreign workers to the country's economy. The influx of foreign labor has helped Spain's economy grow by about 3% last year, surpassing the eurozone average and the US growth rate. Foreign workers have filled 45% of all jobs created since 2022, with nearly 3 million foreigners now representing 13% of the country's workforce. Spain's ministry for social security and migration credits the newcomers with sustaining the aging country's social security system. The country's population growth since the COVID-19 pandemic is largely due to immigration, with 1.1 million people arriving in 2022. Foreign-born workers have found jobs in various sectors, including services, construction, and farming, often taking lower-wage jobs that many Spaniards don't want. To help integrate newcomers, companies like bonÀrea offer classes in Spanish and Catalan, help with work permits, and finding homes and schools. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has defended legal migration, drawing attention to its economic benefits, and the government aims to bring unauthorized migrants already in Spain into the system by providing work permits and papers. The Bank of Spain estimates that an aging Spain will need 30 million working-age immigrants over the next 30 years to sustain the balance between workers and retirees-plus-children. Overall, Spain's approach to immigration has bucked the anti-migration trend seen in other European countries, with the country recognizing the economic benefits of welcoming foreign workers.