My hubby and I are planning on escaping the UK/Ireland to move to Spain (as both lost our jobs recently) and wondered if anyone had any suggestions on the best areas to move to where there is likely to be some work (we are in early 30's if that helps!)

Thanks a million

Hi

Please do a search of this forum - there have been some threads on this - basically, it is worse here than there especially if you do not speak Spanish.

But good luck

Davexf

just read the "Working in cafes etc" thread .... it not all sangria and sun here

Madrid's the best place to find work in Spain (and probably Europe!). But your best bet would be to have teaching English experience (and know how to speak Spanish) in the current economic climate. I looked at a couple of expat mags when I was in Madrid this week, and there were quite a few adverts for English teachers. Some sales positions too, but sales isn't for everyone.

Sorry to say but you are better off in the UK or Ireland There is nothing in Spain at the moment something like 40% unemployment but if you have a few bob then fine you will love the people and the culture but dont think it is cheap in Spain cost of living in Spain is more or less the same as UK depending on where you live If you cant afford to live in UK then you cant afford to live in Spain and you wont get free healthcare which you do in UK Weather is obviously much better but that wont put food in your fridge. For now stay where you are (you have a better chance of getting a job) move to Spain when you can afford to and you will love it. I have a home there and a Wife and one of my children but unfortunatley have to commute (suits me and my wife ,sort of )I earn well but still it is a struggle (did overspend on my property )You would think you would get a cheap property in these recessional times but that is not the case if you dont match the asking price the Spanish will not sell regardless more likely to increase the price (they never seem to worry about selling ,if it happens ,it happens )If you do move to Spain I wish you all the best and hope you love it as much as I do.

Whilst the teaching idea is a good one, you must be aware that those ads that you saw run 12 months a year and have done for years. Reason? There's a bloody high turnover in those academies given that, apart from the usual temp student type short term casual visitors, their pay scale is abysmal - including the ones that promise to pay €40-50 an hour (you might get a couple of hours at that rate for premium classes, the your other hours will be at a much lower rate, and then you'd be lucky to get more than 20-25 hours a week)

So there is currently around 20 million unemployed in Spain? Ahem, I think we need to look at the more realistic figure of around 13% which they suspect might rise to 20% by 2011. BUt as I've said time and again that is a very misleading figure. There is a saying here - There are many people unemployed but few without work. A lot are taking advantage of the current situation as the credit crunch is hurting very badly the small & medium sized business owner. Many have officially laid off there staff only to rehire them off the books.

As for healthcare, why wouldn't they get it free? If they get a legal job, they would be paying into the Spanish social security system and therefore qualify for healthcare. I've never had to pay for it here, ever.

Cost of living is not as black & white as you say. I agree it isn't as low as people think but it isn't so high as to class it as precisly the same as UK. If you continue trying to by the kind of goods and brands you are used to in UK then yes, it gets expensive. But only muppets or those with cash to burn do that.


About the property comment, that again is misleading. Those people who have property because it has been in the family through generations (or bought from money gleaned from some sort of inheritance) then no they won't sell at a low price. Likewse those that bought outright in cash or with an extremely low mortgage again won't sell at a low figure. However, the property boom of the last decade was not only good for Johhny Foreigner - many Spaniards, young ones too, took advantage. Many of them mortgaged themselves to 90% and even 100%. It is these people, and there are many, who will gladly sell to get the bank off their backs, even if it means taking a hit on the price - their credit rating stays intact so they live to fight another day. Just saw last week a property (3-bed, 80m2 resale) that a year ago would have been bunched in with the €150,000+ bracket, but instead is on the market at the more realistic price of €90,000


If you are coming here with little or no Spanish then it is worth thinking twice about as Hondon says. If you are thinking of trying to get a job in one of the resorts where Spanish isn't that necessary, then join a long queue.

If you do have good Spanish then there are still a lot of opportunities out there. A generational problem of the younger (under 40) Spanish at the moment is that if the job doesn't absolutely, 100% fit what they want to do, they don't do it. A bricklayer or painter & Decorator is reluctant to take a simple labourers job. A computer programmer is reluctant to take a job as a simple database inputter. A restaurant or hotel standard waiter doesn't want a job behind the bar. And so on. If you are prepared to swallow your pride and do whatever it is to get the food on the table, then there are opportunities. The way I've always worked is to decide how much I need each month to get by. If that means I only have to work 2 hours a day to get it, then lucky me. But if I have to work 15 hours a day to get it then so be it. I need to get the end result - the means of getting there are less important.

Ahem. ... Spain's jobless rate hits 13.9%

Just on the point of comparisons, we move here partly because we retired early and couldnt have afforded to live in the UK with just investment income so Spain was the cheaper option. Of course it was a lot cheaper three years ago ..... less so now. BUT, I still couldnt afford to live in the UK but I can here. People tend just to compare supermarket trolly prices, but thats not the end of it.

Sorry my 40% figure was way over the top but it seems like it.I still think the cost of living is not far off UK rates ie shopping trolley prices are not that different with a few exceptions but all my insurance premiums i.e car, house contents etc are much higher in Spain and I dont exactly live in a crime ridden area .One the whole gas and electricity is cheaper in uk as they are all cutting each others throats ,I can get a pint of beer for around £2 ,cheaper if you go to a Wetherspoons pub when they have promotions which seems never ending ,2 meals for £6.20 also .As you say healthcare is free if you contribute to the system but that still is 3 grand a year overall I think there is not a lot of difference but the hospitality and the weather more than makes up for it .

My car and house insurance is similar to what it was in the UK but its difficult to compare like for like.
My Council tax in the UK, £1500 +, in Spain €400, road tax here is only €100, whereas iirc £180ish in the UK .... I still feel we can shop cheaper here .... but I also bear in mind the quality of a lot of food here is better (as is quality of life generally)

I'm moving with my boyfriend there, well, i'm not english, but he is , so i joined your page ... We gone live near the see, so we expext to get bar jobs or something.. we coming there in few weeks time..

Did anyone drive there with english car?

How is the best way to get internet and sky tv?

Go to the Costa Esuri thread and you'll be in good company!!!!

Ahhh.....the optimism of youth Good Luck - you will need it

I came to england with full of optimism and it wasn't easy so i have some experience.. ha ha time to try something new

You will need a lot more than optimism in Spain these days but good luck anyway .