British tourists to help create more than 600,000 jobs in Spain this summer – 140,000 of them permanent

A RECORD 604,000 jobs are set to created in Spain this summer, experts have predicted.

According to research company Randstad, some 140,000 of those will be converted into full time jobs (around 23%) at the end.

Andalucia will benefit the most, with the influx of tourists creating 28,420 permanent posts, followed by Catalunya with 20,040, Valencia with 14,950 and Madrid with 14,810.

Compared to last year’s data, Aragon is the fastest growing region in terms of permanent jobs coming from the summer season with an 8.8% increase, followed by Castilla-La Mancha (8.7%) and Galicia (8%).

Catalunya follows on 7.6%, then Madrid (7.2%) and Murcia (6.7%), all above the 6.5% national average.

The communities with more moderate growth compared to 2018 will be Cantabria (6.3%), Valencia and the Canaries (both with 6.2%), Andalucia (6%), Asturias (5.9%), Extremadura and the Basque Country (both with 5.5%) and La Rioja (5.3%).

Navarra, with 4.4%, Castilla y León, 4.2% and the Balearics on 2.5%, will see the slowest permanent job growth year-on-year.

It comes as forecasts now predict that at least 7.3 million tourists will visit the Costa del Sol alone this summer, and that 2019 will smash all previous records with 13 million visitors.

The British continue to be the biggest foreign group visiting Spain, making the UK market essential to Spain’s tourism industry and aiding in job creation.