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Comment by sean_patel | Hacker News Reader

> For now there is crisis and disintegration wherever I look: the eurozone is chronically dysfunctional, sunlit Athens is plunged into misery, young Spaniards with doctorates are reduced to serving as waiters in London or Berlin, the children of Portuguese friends seek work in Brazil and Angola

How much truth is there, to this statement i.e. "young Spaniards with PHDs are serving as Waiters in London or Berlin."

Anyone? I find it quite shocking and want to know if the Author is engaging in fear-mongering, or if Europe is indeed falling apart and the part about Greeks, young Spaniards and Portuguese peeps is true.

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I don't know about working as waiters, but Spanish unemployment is insane.

The overall unemployment is around 19% currently, down from almost 27% in 2013. [1]

The youth unemployment is around 44%, down from almost 56% in 2013. [2]

I can't imagine what having half of all young people unable to find jobs will do to a country in the longer term.

[1] http://www.tradingeconomics.com/spain/unemployment-rate

[2] http://www.tradingeconomics.com/spain/youth-unemployment-rat...

> How much truth is there, to this statement i.e. "young Spaniards with PHDs are serving as Waiters in London or Berlin." Anyone?

Plausible. Wage is higher in London and Berlin. As others put, unemployment among youth is very high in Spain. Finally, Europeans grow up speaking English as secondary language thanks to computers/IT. (For Civ players among us: smell the cultural victory?)

Also, if you apply for social benefits in NL you need to apply for one job a week and give proof about this to the government. You need to accept any 'socially acceptable work' regardless of your education (no, won't involve prostitution, but it can surely involve low wage jobs such as garbageman, waiter, or clerk in a store). If you went for a PhD in philosophy (not much money in that field), that is entirely your choice. Its also entirely possible you're unable to find a job right after you completed your education if that education isn't in high demand (if your PhD is tech-related you have nothing to worry). Except when job recruiters demand you have certain 'experience in the field'. Then you're screwed regardless.

This is just anecdotal but I know that spanish people have trouble finding jobs and often stay in school longer while living with their parents.

I know two spanish people with a BA, one went au-pairing in france, another one couldn't find a job and moved to morocco cause it was cheaper.

So while it may be exagerated, there's probably some truth to that statement. The euro has destroyed the mediterrean economies.

>The euro has destroyed the mediterrean economies.

That's implying Mediterranean economies would be better off without the Euro. I beg to differ.

Coming from a Mediterranean Country, I agree with you.

In my experience, young Spanish PhDs go abroad (indeed, I'm one of those and know plenty, although not sure about my youth by now) to work in a related field. Not to be waiters.

It is true, actually. Lots of waiters with degrees in London. But most of them do not last much. It is a way to improve their English, try to get a job in the UK (getting to an entry-level job it is almost impossible in the South), and live in London. Note than normally do not want to stay in the UK permanently.

Also take with a grain of salt all this kind of articles. American and UK media likes to project their worldview in the political actors of continental Europe but the 20-something nations involved are varied and make the EU extremely complex.

Resident of Berlin here. Cannot dismiss this statement completely. At the height of the crisis in Spain, there was a noticable influx of Spanish people in a first-move-then-job situation. Most of them did not speak German, quite some also had troubles with English, despite education.

The Spanish presence is less visible now, I am guessing because some left, and the others got better integrated. Would not be surpised if some of the PhDs are prepping a few dozen of meals each evening...

Will ask my spanish friends soon.

This is what I have noticed too. It is a way to start living in the country and then get a job (specially a entry-level job). Also to improve their fluency in the language of that particular country. UK is specially popular because they speak English.

A minority of those well educated people might get stuck, though.

There is more than 22% of unemployment in Spain. Furthermore, more than 43% of people under 25 are unemployed.

Not to be waiters. But the brain drain in the south is real.

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