Within two days of distributing his CV, Matías Armani, a 48-year-old bricklayer from Argentina with more than two decades of experience, had received ten job offers in Spain. He had no local contacts or prior network, yet quickly drew interest from construction firms and ultimately chose one employer. The number and timing of the offers are part of his account, shared through the TikTok account @tuobraperfecta.
“If you know how to work in construction, you’ll find a job very quickly,” Armani said. His experience comes as the sector continues to struggle to recruit skilled tradespeople. A high number of vacancies, but, does not necessarily mean high wages or financial security, particularly in areas where housing costs are large.
Shortage of Skilled Workers
The article’s cited Industrial Construction Observatory figures put Spain’s construction workforce at 1,612,000 in the second quarter of 2026, up 5.7% year over year. It also reports 42,245 contracts for bricklayers in the first two months of the year, nearly 29% of construction hiring. These totals measure hiring activity, not necessarily distinct workers: one person can receive more than one contract.
A separate Fundación Laboral de la Construcción analysis, based on Spain’s labor-force survey, counted 1,530,002 construction workers in 2025, a 4.5% annual increase. It also recorded 95,340 vacancies declared by companies in the fourth quarter of 2025, with 43,495 unfilled for at least 90 days. The figures cover different periods and measures. Alongside the sector’s difficulty recruiting bricklayers, they point to sustained pressure on employers to find qualified staff. Employers also report difficulty finding electricians and plumbers.
The shortage has deep roots. El País reported in October 2026 that it was linked to the sector’s prolonged contraction after the 2008 financial crisis and the limited replacement of retiring workers. Ministry of Housing sources described construction as having been effectively stalled for around a decade and a half, saying: “There is a need to build, but that alone is not enough, and it is neither easy nor quick; workers are lacking.” The newspaper also reported that migrants make up about half of Spain’s bricklayers and construction laborers.
Armani points to a generational shift: “In my family, you either studied or learned a manual trade from adolescence. My father always said, if you learn a trade, you can take it anywhere.” He believes changing attitudes and the loss of traditional skills have contributed to fewer young people entering the trades.
Youth and Foreign Labor in Construction
The article’s figures for the second quarter of 2026 show 181,000 construction workers under 30, or 11.2% of the workforce. Workers aged 50 and over accounted for 38.1%, while those over 60 reached 9.8%, a five-year high. The figures show how difficult it may be to replace an aging workforce with younger recruits.
Foreign workers accounted for 27.4% of construction employees in the same data, up 2.2 percentage points from a year earlier. That figure covers the wider construction workforce, while the roughly 50% reported by El País applies specifically to bricklayers and construction laborers. The measures describe different occupational groups. The Confederación Nacional de la Construcción estimates that Spain will need around 700,000 additional workers over time to meet projected construction demand and replace retirees. This is a forecast of future workforce needs, not 700,000 jobs immediately available to applicants.
Wages and Working Conditions
Armani estimates that a skilled bricklayer on the Costa del Sol can earn between €1,500 and €1,800 a month. He has not specified whether that figure is gross or net, or whether it includes extra payments. In separate coverage, he described earnings in Spain of roughly €1,200 to €1,800 a month and said rent could cost as much as his income. The comparison shows that finding work and being able to live comfortably on a wage are separate questions.
Reported pay benchmarks put inexperienced construction workers at around €20,000 to €23,000 gross a year. Experienced first-class workers can earn up to €28,000. Actual pay varies by location. Professional category and experience also matter, as do contract terms. Before accepting a job, workers should establish the annual gross salary and number of payments. They should confirm working hours and professional level. Overtime arrangements also need clarification. So do contract duration and social-security registration.
Legal Requirements for Foreign Workers
Armani’s account does not set out his administrative status when he entered the Spanish labor market. In general, non-EU citizens need authorization to live and work in Spain, and an employer normally initiates an application for an initial residence and work permit. The process depends on the applicant’s circumstances and the applicable immigration route.
Employer demand is separate from access to a simplified hiring procedure. In the third quarter of 2026, bricklayers and formwork workers were not included in Spain’s official catalogue of occupations classified as difficult to cover. Reinforcing-steel workers were also excluded. As El Español reported, this does not prevent companies from hiring foreign workers, but it means construction employers cannot use the streamlined route for occupations on the catalogue. They must follow the ordinary process instead.
Armani’s rapid job search shows how employers value experience in a sector facing recruitment and demographic pressures. His account reflects a broader labor shortage, but the terms of any offer matter. So does whether the wages can cover local living costs.
