Young Spaniards need up to six years to find a permanent job compared to two years required by Danish youths aged 15 to 24 according to the report ‘OECD Skills Strategy: Building an effective skills strategy for Spain‘ by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

“While temporary contracts in European countries are a prior step for young people before a permanent contract, young people in Spain are more likely to remain trapped in temporary contracts”, states the report, which also asserts that the wages of this group have fallen by 35 per cent in five years.

In particular, according to the OECD, the wages of young Spanish people have gone from 1,210 euros in 2008 to 890 euros in 2013, i.e. a fall of 35% in real terms.

The text addresses, among other issues, the transition of young people from the educational system to stable employment and stresses the fact that, in Spain, the search for stable employment takes longer than in other OECD countries, especially among young people.

In fact, 20% of the population aged 15 to 24 take 4 to 5 years to find a stable position, a rate that is much higher than in the Netherlands, 5%, or the United Kingdom, 4%.

In addition, Spain has the highest rate of young people working in part-time employment (22%) compared to the OECD average of 4%.

In spite of recent improvements, the OECD points out that youth unemployment rates are still high: 52.4% in 2014, slightly lower than one year ago at 54%.

The report also warns that long-term unemployment among young people can “stigmatise” them, increasing the probability of being unemployed in the future, obtaining lower wages, leading to worse mental conditions and, in general, limiting their opportunities in life.

There is also the “danger”, according to the paper, that the skills of young graduates who do not find a job will become “more limited” or even “obsolete” if they cannot apply what they have studied.

In addition, young people can lose confidence in their skills, which can lead to anxiety and pessimism regarding future employment options.