In the early hours of Sunday, 19 April, Spain’s main business associations publicly backed the government’s extraordinary migrant regularisation programme that launched online last week. Speaking to El País, representatives of CEOE, Cepyme and several sectoral federations described the measure as “not only humane but economically essential” as record job-vacancy rates in construction, hospitality and elder-care collide with chronic skills shortages. Spain’s labour-market tightness has intensified since the pandemic rebound: job vacancies rose 24 % year-on-year in Q1 2026 while unemployment fell below 11 % for the first time since 2008. Employers argue that granting work authorisation to an estimated 500,000–800,000 undocumented migrants will expand the talent pool, curb undeclared work and boost Social-Security contributions. “We are already relying on many of these people informally—this simply brings reality into line with legality,” said Juan José Gil, head of the National Hospitality Federation. The business community also sees a competitive advantage. Neighbouring Portugal ended its 2022 regularisation in January, and Italy’s 2025 amnesty covered only agriculture and domestic service. “Spain is positioning itself as the most business-friendly destination in Europe for attracting and retaining migrant workers,” noted labour economist María Ángeles Castejón of IE University. Still, companies warn of operational hurdles. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) say the 75-day window for applications is tight, and they fear processing bottlenecks at immigration offices. The CEOE has called for a fast-track channel for priority sectors and clear guidance on sponsorship documentation. Large multinationals with global-mobility departments, by contrast, see an opportunity to regularise subcontractor staff and strengthen supply-chain resilience. For global-mobility managers the message is clear: clients with Spanish operations should audit their contingent workforce quickly, gather proof of employment relationships and budget for Social-Security back-payments. With the first work/residence cards expected to be issued from July, companies that move fast could secure desperately needed staff ahead of the peak summer season.
Source: El País
