A period of unprecedented economic growth has caused a spike in contractor demand in Spain, as the country has seen a 154% year-on-year increase in contractor numbers in July 2018, according to data from 6CATS International, a supplier of international contractor management solutions.

6CATS found that 51% of the July increase comes from EU nationals who have moved to the destination seeking work opportunities.

This demand comes at a time of extensive economic expansion in the country, with the International Monetary Fund and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development forecasting 2.8% growth in GDP for 2018.

“The Spanish economy is certainly booming following several uncertain years,” Michelle Reilly, CEO of 6CATS International, said. “The fact that the country experienced the greatest growth of all the advanced economies in 2017 and looks set to continue with such a positive outlook, means that specialist professionals are highly sought after to support and drive further success.”

“While 48% of the contractors operating in the country are Spanish nationals, there’s clearly a reliance on foreign contract experts to fill demand across sectors including Marketing, Technical & Engineering, Pharmaceutical, IT, Energy and Oil & Gas,” Reilly said.

“However, while there’s clearly a wealth of opportunities for contract work in Spain, remaining compliant while operating in the country can be challenging, particularly given the need to register for multiple documents such as a Numero De Identificacion de Extranjeros or ‘NIE’ number,” Reilly said. “With a global clampdown on tax fraud, ensuring all parties involved in a contract placement are compliant with local legislation is now arguably more critical than it has ever been.”