Ecuador President welcomes Spanish workers

 

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said his country would welcome Spanish workers fleeing recession and unemployment at home.

"There are Spaniards coming to Ecuador and we await them with open arms," Correa said in an interview with Spanish public broadcaster Television Espanola today. He said salaries in Latin America were competitive and the country needed trained workers such as doctors.

Spain relied on migrants to help meet demand for labor during its 10-year housing boom, a trend that boosted the population of Ecuadorians in Spain to more than 400,000, according to Spain's statistics institute. A 5-year economic slump that has pushed the jobless rate above 25% is forcing migrants to return home and Spaniards to seek work abroad.