Does anybody else find the job market in Spain tends to discriminate against anyone over, say 37 years of age? Do they really believe that people over a certain age have lost their skills or value in the work place?

Are there industries in Spain that do not have a problem hiring people who are somewhere between death and 40?

I know the job market sucks in general, but these guys are really out of touch with reality if they think that an older worker lacks skill or value simply because of their age. I have found in my experience that older workers tend to be more stable and reliable as employees.

Is it yet another demonstration the worthless rigidity of the Spanish psyche?

Danny in BCN

The best way round it is to omit your age on CV’s when seeking employment or if your really cheeky put   Age: Over 25.
The bottom line is, your only as old as you look and theirs nothing ‘in law’ that
says that you have to include your age when looking for jobs. Unless of course your past the age of retirement.

For what it’s worth I don’t think this problem is in any way unique to Spain…

BDP x

Could be down to the labour market and education, both are at bursting point.

I am a ‘young 45’ and didn’t think my age was against me…
But… I have now been job hunting (since being made redundant) for past 4yrs.. and no luck.
I do put my age on my CV, so assume if I get an interview they know that fact!
Not sure why I never get the job tho.
Except 101 people apply for a job whenever there is a vacancy! 
Employers market.

I agree with you tho - that an employer would be getting a lot for their money if they hired me!
(The last co I worked for - UK travel buss - started to discriminate against older staff - avg age when
I joined was over 50). 

I will keep looking!

ps my OH is now over 60 but we still need income - they leave off their age from their CV as they look
nothing like their true age 😉

Thanks for the input. I am from the US where it is illegal to ask the age, sex, marital status, number of children, or require a photo on an application or cv. We tend to be too far reaching in the other direction I guess.

Europeans in general never seem to like to admit they have any prejudices and are blind to there own rigidity and lack of sensitivity. They believe discrimination only happens somewhere else. If we point it out, we are just being over-sensitive foreigners.

Spaniards are very na?ve when comes to a competitive business market. They think that it will never happen here and that they can sit back take it easy. I admit, I love how laid back it is here, but the notion that capitalist sharks are not already exploiting the vulnerability of that attitude is very na?ve indeed. Economies will always ultimately move in the direction of a survival of the fittest trend.  And, the lazy, laid back fish will be a more motivated fish?s lunch.

In a truly competitive business market, I would be quickly exploited and employed.

I am lucky that my finding a job is not required for my survival. It is taking a lot of energy but, I am starting my own business and will soon be happily exploiting the local?s in-ability to get things done.

Danny - 02 May 2010 03:51 PM

Europeans in general never seem to like to admit they have any prejudices ...

Pot, kettle….

Whilst I agree with a great deal about what you say about the local labour market and employment conditions, I would never employ anyone, regardless of talent, who was able to express such blanket attitudes about the hundreds of thousands of individuals from a multitude of cultures comprising the continent of Europe!  I know searching for work is very frustrating but accusing a nation of naivety for not hiring you doesnt seem to me the best way of going about it.

Good luck with your business venture, I wonder why you want to conduct it here in the first place?

My OH studied PR in Uni (90’s), part of the course was beauty and dress, similar teaching techniques found in 1950’s Britain for young women in the work place, and they had to be inspected before taking class.

As for multi cultural Europe, that is a myth, in all my travels around Europe I’ve only found cultures changing within countries,  outsiders settling into there culture are treated with contempt and exclusion, most if not all the conflicts in Europe are down to immigration, it may not be in your face, most modern fascists operate behind your back, as it is illegal to openly discriminate to a persons face, discrimination laws haven’t made people feel different, in fact the more laws protect outsiders the bigger the anti feeling.

Go to Athens now and see what Greeks think of successful immigrant businesses and there opinion of the rest of the EU.

Dear pet,

The words ?in general? and ?seem? have no place in a statement of absolute authority, wouldn?t you agree? I am sorry that you mistook my personal observations as some kind of dogma or final word on the topic. I had no intention of that, I assure you. How about if I put it this way; I am not so na?ve as to insist that I have no prejudices or generalized ideas about people because I believe no such person has ever nor will ever exist. I believe that to have prejudices is to be human and that to deny you have them is na?ve. Even you have generalized attitudes and ideas about whole populations of people and so does everyone you know, and whether you are in the position of hiring them or not is of no account. This is a discussion forum. That you take offence at something you read here is about you and how you see yourself, just as my words are really about me and how I see myself. You have your views and I have mine. Try not to be so reactionary. It is bad for your health.

As for the question of my business why wouldn?t I want to start a business where the competition is so sloppy and lazy? It?ll be like shooting fish in a barrel.

As P.T. Barnum used to say ?There?s one born every minute.?

Employing officially unemployed (you have to be signed on as unemplyed) people in Spain over the age of 40 should actually work for you as there are financial gains to be had by an employer who takes workers on. There are large reductions in monthly social security payments for employing over 40?s.  If you are not signed on you should do so as it may help to get employment.

Dave ^
I was vaguely aware that an employer gets benefits for taking someone off the dole (not that it was more if one was over 40 - will keep that ‘on file’ for one of the answers when a prospective emp asks me ‘why should I hire you?’ lol!)

Last co I worked for made me go from self employed to contract (after 4+ years of them only offering me self employment - which I found out along the line was illegal).... and insisted I go and sign on at the umemployment office just so they could get those benefits you are talking about!

I stopped going to the NIME (unemployment office( 2 yrs ago as I only got parro after being made redundant for 6 months, and Social Security/health care was also withdrawn, so didn’t really see the point in queing every 12 weeks just to let them know I was still here!

Hey, well I think it always depends on the job you are applying for, some kinds are more suitable for young & fresh bones others require a certain degree of experience and knowledge in the business. And I think this is the case about everywhere around the globe, not only in Spain. So, keep trying hard and you will eventually find something that suits your capabilities, 37 is not that old after all… 😉