Five years after the economic crisis struck Europe one of the most affected groups nowadays are young people. Young and educated is not necessarily equal to be independent and have sufficient incomes in several countries across the continent. This is the case of Spain with more than half of their youth population under 30 in overqualified jobs.
During the past October, almost 5.6 million people under 25 were unemployed in Europe, whom 3.5 million are in the Eurozone, which it makes the 24,4 % of youth. One of the countries that top the inquiry is Spain with 57,4 %, six tenths more than in September, which means that 972,000 young Spaniards were unemployed.
Slightly ahead, Greece counts with 58 %, and in third place Croatia holds a 52,4 % of youth jobless according to the recent Eurostat figures.
Regardless what policies could be implemented there is a current leakage within and outside Europe or simply anywhere but not Spain. As a matter of fact, 43.6% among those between 20 and 24 years, and 25.5% in the range of 25 to 29 years are educated but jobless. As a result, 89 % of nationals that have migrated had higher education.
It is quite understandable this brain drain abroad when due to labour shortage, young people that hold a degree find out that are overqualified for a job position hence are mostly offered to work under short-term contracts. Similarly, if found a job, is only possible to get one, but underpaid and unrelated to their education and skills.
Despite for Spaniards going for a specific country is not an issue as long as jobs are available. Early inquiries show that Latin American and Europe are receiving most of Spanish migrants. For instance, Ecuador seems to be seemly option out of Europe due to its government offer of more than 5,000 jobs to college-educated Spaniards this year.
In the region is Germany, with the lowest youth unemployment rate in Europe, is one the most preferred destination by Spanish citizens along with France and United Kingdom. Nonetheless, Belgium is becoming widely chosen due to its stable economy contrary to the rampant crisis in the continent.
Anywhere but not Spain
Ana Alvarez represents one of these cases, 24, who took her last year of undergraduate in Tourism in the University of Leuven and now has settled down in Belgium. "Just one week before going back home, I found a job in Brussels as nanny. I took it without hesitating, in Spain I just would not have found a job," claimed Ana. "My friends who have a work in Spain earn way less than what I make here even when they work on their field. Here (Belgium), besides earning money, I am saving it up".
Furthermore, Ana, like most of Spaniards away from home, does not know when will she back home even when she is almost two years abroad. "I like Leuven, I have friends here and I am making money here. I love my country too, but at the moment I only see me in Spain for holidays.” remarked Ana. Rather she is thinking in investing her money saved in a master degree in order to get upward social mobility in Belgium.
On the other hand, she is conscious that she is not working on her field; however she believes she is doing it right. “I know I am not working on what I studied but let’s say that now I am lucky unlike most of people of my age in Spain. I would be worse if I were an underpaid worker as most of my friends in Spain,” concluded Ana.
According to Estela Román, 21, another student of the University of Leuven who is currently taking a Erasmus year program, she believes her future will be uncertain is she gets backs to Spain right after her stay. "I've already heard by some friends that in more than one year have not found a damn job. They (companies) want you to have experience, but how to acquire experience if there are no jobs?” stated Estela.
Likewise, Estela does not discard staying in Belgium after her academic term in Leuven. "I could stay here or go anywhere that I know I will find a job. Because If I get back there (Spain), I believe it will be for a fallow year or maybe to study something else as long as is not expensive," said Estela. "Because if I want to start a master program there (Spain) I have to pay up to 3, 500 euros while here (Belgium) only costs 650 euros. How could I get that money in Spain?”
Therefore in Spain it is not only a matter of not finding a job and being educated, it is also a matter of paying high fees and being a future jobless. Of 21 countries in Europe, Spain is the sixth with the highest fee rates only behind Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Ireland and the UK. Not to mention that, only two out of ten Spanish scholars get some kind of financial aid or scholarships.
But perhaps such financial aid may be cut down sooner or later. In fact, the Minister of Education, José Ignacio Wert, announced the past October his intention to cut down financial aid to Erasmus students amid their on-going studies. If scholars had not protested along Europe, it is likely that the financial cuts would have occurred. Nevertheless, Wert is planning to put stricter requirement to access to the Erasmus aid for the next academic year.
Notwithstanding, Europe will recover its economic course in the future; present situation displays current youth migration against their will and life expectations. A move that possibly implicates a job but will never return recapture the plans these youths had in their homeland close to their friends and family.
It is a fact that Spain is losing their youth population, and even more that most of them are educated and do not see themselves in their homeland within a near future due to the financial crisis. Subsequently, the question that arises is how the Iberian country could overcome the crisis once is gone if they may not count with the most important actors of any country for the future: young people.
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