Remote work in Spain – While Spain leads Europe in job ads offering remote roles, fewer workers are actually logging in from home than in neighbouring countries.
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You’d think the remote work craze might be fading by now – especially with so many companies dragging their staff back to the office.
But in Spain, it’s quite the opposite. A surprising 1 in 5 job ads in the country now offer remote or hybrid working, putting it well ahead of the UK, France and even the US.
So why aren’t more Spaniards actually working from home?
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Remote job offers soar in Spain – but the reality is different
New data from Indeed shows that Spain is leading Europe in remote job listings, with around 20.5% of offers including at least some flexibility. That’s more than double the rate in the US, where remote work has dropped sharply since its 2022 peak.
This includes both full-time remote jobs and hybrid roles – usually one or two days a week from home. The trend held steady through 2023 and early 2024, only dipping a little in the summer and winter holidays when seasonal jobs (which usually can’t be done remotely) spike.
It sounds like a win for work-life balance – but there’s a catch.
Spain leads in remote job ads – but lags in actual remote work
Here’s the twist: Spain may be advertising remote jobs like never before, but it’s not living the remote work life. Only 15.5% of Spanish workers were actually working remotely in 2024, according to Eurostat.
Compare that to Germany (24.1%), France (34%), or the UK (nearly 40%), and you can see there’s a pretty big gap between what’s promised in job ads and what’s really happening.
Why? A few reasons. First, many roles in Spain – especially in retail, hospitality and public services – aren’t advertised online. They’re filled through word of mouth, internal promotions or temp pools. That’s especially true in smaller businesses. So the jobs listed on portals like Indeed aren’t always a true picture of the entire job market.
Plus, in a country where remote work is still seen as a bit of a luxury, listing it as a perk can help attract more applicants. In places like the UK or France, where remote work has become more routine, employers may not even bother to mention it anymore.
Hybrid work grows in Spain – but fully remote remains rare
Spain’s legal rules also play a role. Under the country’s 2021 remote work law, if an employee works from home more than 30% of the time, the company has to pay for it – everything from internet to heating bills. So most employers play it safe and stick to hybrid models.
Even so, only 15.3% of collective work agreements in Spain mention remote work at all, according to the latest Labour Ministry data. That tells you a lot about where things stand.
Still, remote work isn’t disappearing – not in Spain, and not across Europe. It’s just evolving, and in Spain’s case, it seems to be more about what looks good on paper than what’s actually happening on the ground.
Stay tuned with Euro weekly news for more news from Spain