Although recovery in tourism and growth in overall economic activity offer opportunities, Alicante continues to face a notable outflow of talent. The province recorded more than 25,000 new jobs last year, yet many local workers could not find roles that matched their expectations within the region. As a result, a portion of the workforce sought opportunities elsewhere in the country, contributing to a steady talent drain that affected the local economy. In 2022, as many as 4,600 professionals exited the province for sectors with higher demand or greater mobility in cities like Valencia and Madrid.
New insights come from the latest Labor Market Mobility study based on withholding tax declarations. This analysis uses payroll data reported by companies to trace annual flows across autonomous communities and provinces and to assess how these migrations influence salary levels for skilled workers.
Traditionally Alicante has shown a negative balance in net arrivals versus departures of workers from other regions. This pattern largely persisted before the pandemic, with a two-year interruption in 2020 and 2021. During the pandemic rebound, many workers from central regions of the country moved to Alicante in search of a higher quality of life, temporarily altering the usual trend.
A notable visual illustration shows a woman with suitcases at the Alicante train station, underscoring the personal dimension of mobility trends. The photo illustrates the human side of this economic dynamic.
As the pandemic effects receded, Alicante’s mobility pattern largely returned to its earlier shape. Before the Covid period, it was common for 500 to 1,000 more workers to relocate out of the state than to arrive from the rest of the country; in 2022 that gap widened to 4,600 departures, signaling persistent structural challenges in retaining local talent.
Talent flight from Alicante unstoppable since 2009: More than 57,000 people from the province live outside Spain
According to information from the Tax Office, 10,767 professionals based in Alicante chose to relocate abroad, while 6,167 migrants came from the rest of Spain to Alicante. This exchange represents a significant drain of human capital from the province.
destinations
Valencia emerged as the main regional beneficiary of Alicante’s talent drain, surpassing Madrid in later years. In the most recent year, 4,512 Alicante employees left for Valencia, compared with 1,405 Valencians moving in the opposite direction, highlighting a pronounced interregional shift within the Valencian Community and neighboring regions.
Economic factors appear to be the principal driver of these moves. Retired professor Ignacio Jiménez Raneda notes that the departure of skilled workers reduces the availability of human and financial resources for the province. The contrast becomes particularly evident when comparing trends toward the capital, where 1,665 people moved from Alicante to Madrid, against 1,175 Madrid residents settling in Alicante, with similar patterns observed toward Murcia and Barcelona as well.
Francisco Llopis, director of studies at Ineca, attributes the talent drain to a lack of sufficient development opportunities for highly qualified workers within Alicante. This concern has been a recurring theme in local think-tank debates, including studies showing that a sizable share of graduates from the University of Alicante and Miguel Hernández University are working in jobs that require little or no formal qualifications. The broader productive fabric remains challenged by a mismatch between available jobs and the aspirations of university graduates.
Experts suggest that people who relocate usually do so for stronger economic prospects and the promise of career advancement. Victor Tatay, regional manager for Adecco in the Valencian Community, notes that large tech firms and the vibrant logistics sector in Valencia, reinforced by entrepreneurial ecosystems like Shuttle and Naval Companies, increasingly attract talent from Alicante. The move is driven by the desire for career growth and access to larger corporate networks that can sustain long-term professional development.
Valencia previously lagged as a talent magnet until 2018, when it began to attract more workers, yet current data show a broad pattern of talent shifts affecting many regional capitals. The movement appears to be directed by regional economic dynamics that favor centers with more established innovation ecosystems and job opportunities.
More than 4,000 euros per year is the observed differential in earnings that accompanies relocation. Tax Office data indicate that the average salary for workers who stay in Alicante rose from 19,335 euros to 21,455 euros, a gain of 2,120 euros. Those who moved to other regions saw salaries climb from 20,625 to 24,634 euros, a difference of 4,009 euros. Meanwhile, the average salary of professionals arriving in Alicante increased from 18,673 euros to 22,631 euros, highlighting a net gain for the province’s in-migration cohorts yet a continuing outflow of native talent. These figures reflect the persistent wage incentives influencing mobility decisions across provincial borders.