A TYPICAL 'economic migrant' from Spain is aged between 25 and 34, and heads for the UK, according to research by the temporary work agency Asempleo.
A total of 80,141 Spaniards left Spain last year to find a job – a total of 185% more than in 2007.
They are mostly from the Canary Islands (18.6%), Catalunya (18.5%) or Madrid (18.1%), with the regions waving goodbye to the fewest inhabitants being Asturias (9.7%), Extremadura (10.1%) and Andalucía (12.3%).
A total of 48.6% go to other countries in the EU, with 38,941 moving elsewhere in Europe in 2014 – although Ecuador was the destination of choice for more Spaniards last year (7,841) than the USA (6,339).
This is largely because a high number of Spaniards moving abroad for work were originally from Latin America but took Spanish nationality during their time in the country, and are now returning to their native land – but as they have Spanish passports, they are logged as nationals who have become expats rather than returning migrants.
As for native Spaniards, the UK welcomed 9,552 Spaniards last year alone, some 75% of whom were of working age.
Of those who stayed in Spain, 15.1% have moved elsewhere in the country for work in the last five years, with 2010 seeing the highest level of cross-country migration, a time when 19.1% of those in work, or one in five employees, moved to another part of Spain.
Those moving elsewhere in the same province for jobs totalled 22.5% in the five-year period up to and including 2010, or 24.1% within the same region but to different provinces.
Movement in this time to other regions altogether totalled 23.4%.
Those who relocate within Spain for work are typically male, with at least graduate-level studies, who works in personnel, security – such as the police force – sales or restaurant and catering.
A total of half of all Spaniards of working age with degree-level or professional equivalent qualifications have moved elsewhere in the country in the last five years, with those whose education stopped after primary school accounting for fewer than 7.7%.
Professionals, police and other security forces, sales persons and those in the restaurant sector are the most likely to move to another part of the country – 23.8% - followed by directors and top-level company managers at 4.3%, farmers and fishermen at 1.4% and those in the Forces at 1.3%.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com