Job Discussion Forums

[mikeisquixotic]

According to a BBC article, Spain's unemployment rate hit 13.9% in the last quarter of 2008. That's the worst in the Eurozone and expectations are that it will rise in 2009. The country's credit rating has just been reduced by Standard & Poor's as well.

Can anyone offer any insight as to how the ESL market has been affected?

I am considering a move to either Madrid or Barcelona at the beginning of the Fall 09 school season. By September I will have two years of volunteer teaching experience, an Oxford TEFL certificate and EU citizenship through descent. However, I'm still worried it may be a bad time to cut my teeth on the Spanish ESL market.

Any thoughts?

[El_Che]

I've experienced no problems in getting work here in Valencia.

In fact many of my clients have started English classes to get a head start over the competition because of the economic downturn.

I'd imagine that this is the case in Madrid and Barcelona too, where demand always seems to outstrip supply.

[SirKirby]

Doesn't currently appear to be a problem in Barcelona, as far as I know, though they say the next two years are going to get a lot worse.

All the major car manufacturers have pulled out of the Barcelona Motorshow and the freebie paper Metro has shut down in Spain... Those are two real bad signs!

[andeez]

Things are getting worse,much worse and if you don't have a EU passport it may be impossible by September.Here in Madrid companies who used to hire Americans illegally have stopped the practice as EU citizens are losing hours and reporting companies for illegal hiring.And you can't really blame them.

[sollettspain]

My perception is that the recession is taking a toll on the amount of work available and the wages paid. Especially here, in Alicante, which is very dependent on the tourism, particularly British tourism which compounds the problem due to the weak british pound.
The business classes are dropping off - fewer students requesting clases - for various reasons a) their companies have less money available for training, b) unemployment has risen rapidly and is predicted to continue rising c) the remaining workforce are obliged to concentrate their working time on other priorities aside from improving their language skills.

re kids and young adult classes - perhaps not afected quite as noticeably, but a significant number of parents who pay their 70-80 euros per month for their children's classes are having to budget more carefully in all areas.

I know a number of teachers and managers in various language schools here who are having to make cutbacks here and there - combining levels of students, not replacing teaching resources etc etc.

Some of the Summer camps also appear to be experiencing a reduction in bookings compared with previous years.

In fact, the school where I�ve worked since last September said to me on Thursday that they may well reduce the number of staff in order to maximise class sizes and that they can�t guarantee me any work for next term until they have looked very carefully at their intake.

So the situation in this city isn�t so rosy, although i suspect that other larger cities which are less dependent on tourism and construction and have a greater number of more international businesses won�t be quite so badly affected.

Still, the weather is great and you can still get a good bottle of wine for about 4 euros.

[mikeisquixotic]

Thanks for the feedback, all. Anyone in Madrid care to chime in?