Matías Armani, a 48-year-old bricklayer from Argentina with more than 20 years in the trade, arrived in Spain and quickly learned how tight the labor market has become. After handing out his CV, he said he had 10 job offers within 48 hours, despite having no local contacts or established network.
The story, shared through the TikTok account @tuobraperfecta, has landed at a moment when Spain’s construction sector is struggling to attract younger workers. The Industrial Construction Observatory reported 1,612,000 people employed in construction in the second quarter of 2026, up 5.7% from the prior year. In the first two months of 2026, bricklayers accounted for 42,245 contracts, nearly 29% of all new hires in construction.
That demand is running head-on into a demographic reality. Workers under 30 represented 181,000 people in the second quarter of 2026, or 11.2% of the workforce. At the same time, workers 50 and older made up 38.1% of the sector, and those over 60 hit a five-year high at 9.8%. Foreign labor is also playing a bigger role, reaching 27.4% of construction workers.
Pay expectations are part of the conversation, too. Armani estimated a skilled bricklayer on the Costa del Sol can earn between 1,500 and 1,800 euros per month, although the article notes pay can vary by province, role, experience, and contract terms. Spain’s 2026 national minimum wage is set at 1,221 euros per month in 14 payments, and sector agreements call for a 3% increase in provincial wage tables starting in January 2026.
For mason contractors trying to staff work, the takeaway is clear: when experienced bricklayers are scarce, speed and clarity matter. The article advises workers to confirm the annual gross salary, number of payments, working hours, professional level, overtime terms, contract duration, and social security registration before accepting an offer. For non-EU workers, it also notes that legal employment typically requires an initial residence and work permit requested by the employer, so paperwork can be as important as the wage number when offers come in fast.
Read the full, original article from RUSSPAIN.com here.