Moroccan workers power Spain’s labor force, but mobility remains limited

Moroccans remain the largest foreign workforce in Spain, raising questions about whether their strong presence translates into upward mobility.

In 2025, between 350,000 and 370,000 Moroccan workers were registered with Spain’s Social Security system, according to official data.

At first glance, the figures suggest a success story marked by steady employment, a growing presence and deep economic ties between Spain and Morocco. But a closer look shows that most of these jobs are concentrated in low-wage sectors such as agriculture, domestic work and basic services.

These roles are often physically demanding, poorly paid and offer limited opportunities for advancement.

Data from National Institute of Statistics shows that foreign workers are heavily concentrated in the lowest-paid segments of the economy: nearly 40% of agricultural workers, more than 43% of domestic workers and over 22% of hospitality workers.

Moroccan workers make up a significant share of this distribution, particularly in agriculture, where roughly one in three Moroccans is employed. By comparison, agriculture accounts for about 5% of total employment in Spain.

Income data further underscores the gap. According to INE figures, 83.1% of domestic workers and 56% of agricultural workers earn less than 1,582 euros per month, sectors in which foreign workers, especially Moroccans, are overrepresented.

Non-EU nationals, a category that includes most Moroccan workers, are concentrated in the bottom 20% to 40% of earners. Even within the same sectors, Moroccan workers often earn less than their Spanish counterparts.

The structure of employment reinforces this pattern. Moroccan workers are far more likely to hold temporary or seasonal contracts, particularly in agriculture and tourism.

Many are employed under so-called “fixed-discontinuous” contracts, meaning they work only part of the year and remain inactive for the rest, technically employed, but without stable, year-round income.

Regional data highlights how deeply this system is embedded. In regions such as Murcia and Andalusia, agriculture depends heavily on foreign labor. Seasonal harvests in provinces like Huelva rely on Moroccan workers recruited through circular migration programs.

These programs are designed to address labor shortages efficiently, bringing workers in for specific seasons and returning them to their home country afterward.

While the system meets labor demand, it does little to create pathways from low-wage, unstable jobs to more secure and better-paid employment.

Research shows that many Moroccan migrants enter the Spanish labor market through low-skilled jobs and remain concentrated in those sectors over time. As a result, wages tend to stagnate, with limited improvement even after years of work.