The murcian countryside continues to dominate the issuance of work permits for foreign nationals seeking to enter the labor market in the Region of Murcia. In the most recent year, a total of 3,250 foreign workers obtained work permits in the region. Notably, nearly half of these approvals, about 1,580 people or 48.6 percent, were issued to agricultural, forestry, and fishery workers.
Conversely, a large portion of the foreign workforce entered the country through the domestic workers and other cleaning personnel category, with 730 permits representing 22.4 percent of the total, based on data supplied by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration for 2021.
There were 187 foreign workers linked to the construction category, accounting for 5.7 percent of the total permits.
The Region of Murcia saw a slight decline from 2020, when 3,407 permits were granted, a dip attributed in part to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The decrease amounted to 157 permits, a 4.6 percent drop.
Looking back to 2019, before the pandemic, authorizations reached 3,651. In 2021 the gender distribution showed men at 66 percent (2,148 permits) and women at 34 percent (1,102 permits). The shifts in the gender composition compared to the previous year reflected declines for both groups, with women down by 95 and men by 62.
Nationally, the country saw 121,860 work permits issued to foreigners in 2021, a 9.4 percent decrease from 2020. This drop was larger than the 4.8 percent decline seen in the Region of Murcia during the same period. Across the nation, men represented 53.6 percent of permits, while the region displayed a higher share of men at 66 percent, leaving women at 46.4 percent and below regional levels.
Regionally, Murcia ranked eighth among autonomous communities in permit issuance. Leading regions included Catalonia, Madrid, Andalusia, the Community of Valencia, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, and the Balearic Islands.
In early 2022, provisional data from the Ministry of Inclusion indicated a rising trend in the Region of Murcia, with 1,170 permits already granted, an increase of 17.8 percent from the same period in the prior year. If this pace continues, the year could surpass 2021 figures.
Among Spanish communities, Valencia, Extremadura, Navarra, Ceuta, and Melilla were in negative territory during the same period. Across Spain, 47,019 permits were registered in the first quarter, up 25.5 percent or 9,560 permits from the prior year.
By profession, household and cleaning workers remained the largest category in demand, followed by 1,020 food service workers and a combined 968 workers in agricultural and sea-related roles. Administrative positions showed a notable uptick, rising to 350 from 317, while 2019 figures show that cleaners and housekeepers faced declines as did shop assistants and restaurant staff when compared to the 2021 numbers, illustrating the ongoing impact of pre-pandemic levels and recovery patterns.
These patterns underscore how Murcia aligns with national trends while maintaining a strong concentration of agricultural, forestry, and fishery employment opportunities for foreign workers. They also reflect broader shifts in the labor market, where cleaning and domestic services continue to be a stable entry point and health-related disruptions influence sector growth and job availability.