The Vice-Lehendakari and Minister of Economy, Labor and Employment, Mikel Torres, has highlighted that, since the transfer was assumed last July, Euskadi has processed 6,700 work permit files for foreigners and plans to exceed 27,000 cases in 2026, while underlining that employment “is not only an economic objective, but is the best social inclusion and cohesion policy.”
“Basque companies, with their efforts and that of their staff, are the engine of prosperity for all citizens. Our political duty is to guarantee that this effort translates into decent, stable and accessible employment for all people, and competitiveness for our companies,” he added.
During the opening ceremony of the MerkaLan fair, held this Wednesday in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Torres asked to continue the course set by the Basque Employment Strategy 2030, which is to “take advantage of all talent, promote diversity and equality, and leave no one behind.”
To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to focus on training, qualification and personalized support. Under the motto “Guiding is activating the talent of tomorrow”, the sixth edition of MerkaLan reflects “the expression of a determined public policy” of the Basque Government and Lanbide – Basque Public Employment Service, “which puts people and companies at the center of economic and social transformation”, highlighted the vice-lehendakari.
Torres has insisted on the importance of quality of employment, considering “it is urgent to reinforce employment with rights, guarantee collective bargaining and ensure that innovation does not translate into exploitation”, and recalled that quality of employment implies having “rights, stability, social protection and conditions that allow a full life”.
Likewise, he has called for “eliminating obstacles and taking advantage of all available talent: young people, people over 50, migrants and women.” “Equality is not an accessory issue, but a requirement to advance social justice, competitiveness and economic progress,” he stated, recalling that the wage gap in Euskadi stands at 12.8% and that challenges such as labor partiality and glass ceilings persist.
Process streamlining
In relation to the management of work permits for foreign people, Torres has highlighted the transfer of powers assumed by Euskadi in July, which has made it possible to speed up the processes of settlement and hiring at origin. Since then, the Department of Economy, Labor and Employment has processed more than 6,700 files and the forecast for 2026 is to exceed 27,000 cases.
“This effort reflects a clear commitment to streamlining the processes of settlement and hiring at origin, essential to respond to the demand for labor and facilitate their labor integration, but also to contribute to the economic and social cohesion of Euskadi,” he concluded.
Torres recalled that, according to Lanbide’s Futurelan observatory, in the next decade Euskadi will generate 675,000 employment opportunities, the majority linked to generational change, “which represents a challenge and an opportunity to rejuvenate and transform the Basque productive fabric.”
MerkaLan, which has the participation of 150 companies and institutions, is consolidating itself as a benchmark in public-private collaboration and “is an example of adaptation to the new realities of the labor market, offering hundreds of jobs, training and activities for a more innovative, diverse and sustainable future,” Torres noted.
This edition’s in-person fair will continue throughout the day this Wednesday, until 5:45 p.m., at the Europa Conference Center in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The virtual fair will be until November 13.
