Spain plans to cut number of foreigners allowed on its labor market

The Zapatero government in Spain, following talks with various Spanish unions, plans to reduce the number of working contracts signed by foreigners in their countries of origin for work in Spain, Italian website stranieri in Italia informs. The goal of the measure is to reduce the unemployment rates since the Spanish economy has a slow growth.

Spanish Economy minister Pedro Solbes underlined in several press statements last week that the Spanish labor market has changed. Even if the economy continues to create jobs, the active population has a higher growth rate due to women and immigrants. Thus, the active population cannot be fully absorbed by the available jobs on the market. The solution thus is, in the eyes of th Zapatero government, to reduce the number of immigrant workers.

The leader of the biggest Spanish union Julio Ruiz said that one will need to modify the annual number of contracts with immigrant workers signed in their country of origin. According to the Italian website, 1.3 million immigrants have entered Spain on legal terms.

Some 700000 – 800000 Romanian citizens now live or work in Spain, Spanish authorities say. Spanish minister Alberto Navarro told Romanian news agency Newsin in February that Spain was satisfied of the number of immigrants involved in the development the country’s economy.