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A 64-year-old bricklayer exposes construction’s contradiction: “They asked me to speak English with the bricks”

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Spain’s construction sector faces a shortage of skilled workers, with only one in 10 employees under 30 and nearly a quarter older than 55.
  • José María, a 64-year-old bricklayer still working in Madrid, said only one worker at his site is 28 while the rest are over 50.
  • Rising costs and low starting wages are adding to the sector’s difficulty in attracting a new generation of workers.

At 64, José María is still working on a construction site in Madrid, nearly five decades after entering the trade. He says the age gap around him captures the crisis facing Spain’s construction industry: “On my site there is only one young person, aged 28; the rest are over 50.”

The sector needs workers to maintain the pace of construction, but companies say qualified professionals are increasingly difficult to find. Only one in 10 construction workers is under 30, while almost one-quarter are over 55. More than 139,000 professionals are expected to leave the labor market over the next five years, deepening concerns about generational replacement.

On my site there is only one young person, aged 28; the rest are over 50.

· José MaríaThe 64-year-old bricklayer described the age profile of workers at his construction site in Madrid.

José María began working at 14 and has watched the trade change. He recalled applying for a construction job advertised by a town hall, only to learn weeks later that the employer wanted someone who spoke English. “I didn’t know I had to speak English with the bricks,” he said.

I didn’t know I had to speak English with the bricks.

· José MaríaHe recounted his surprise after a construction job required English-language skills.

He believes young people are also discouraged by the pay available at the start of their careers. “The first thing young people ask is how much they will earn. €1,200? I’m not working for that,” he said. The average advertised salary for a construction worker in Spain reaches €28,567 a year in 2026, while new laborers start with a base salary of about €1,300 a month paid over 14 installments.

José María compares those figures with his own experience. He says 400 pesetas once bought many items, while today the equivalent purchasing power would not even cover a coffee. He also says he received only one €100 raise in 20 years. At the same time, construction costs rose 5.4% at the start of 2026, while raw material prices increased between 9% and 12%, adding pressure to companies already struggling to recruit.

The first thing young people ask is how much they will earn. €1,200? I’m not working for that.

· José MaríaHe linked the sector’s difficulty attracting young workers to starting pay.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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