Spain’s minimum wage is €1,221 a month in 14 payments (2026), the week is at most 40 hours and you get at least 30 calendar days of paid holiday. Unemployment has fallen from 13.0% in 2022 to 10.5% in 2025, but is still well above the EU average of 6.0%. Find out where to look for a job, how to apply in Spanish and how to get your NIE and registration certificate.
Spain is a country of 49.6 million people, and its labour market has been improving for several years. Unemployment has fallen every year – from 13.0% in 2022 to 10.5% in 2025 – but it is still well above the EU average of 6.0%.
Young people have it hardest: 24.9% of people aged 15–24 who want a job do not have one (EU: 15.2%), although this is down from 29.7% in 2022. The employment rate is 72.4% of people aged 20–64, below the EU average of 76.1%.
As an EU/EEA or Swiss citizen you do not need a work permit – you can move, look for a job and work on the same terms as Spaniards. What you do need for most jobs is Spanish: cover letters are written in Spanish unless the job ad says otherwise.
Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.
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