Jobs for grabs

With nearly 50% of young Spaniards unable to find jobs, any opportunity for employment is not to be sniffed at.

I read this morning that the Catholic Church in Spain is on a recruitment drive. It seems that the number of priests in the country has declined by 25% over the last decade and that some parishes have to share a priest.

Although 73% of Spaniards claim to be Roman Catholics, less than 15% admit to attending mass regularly. In a bid to reawaken Christianity in the country, Pope Benedict XVI has visited Spain three times since 2005 with some success because the number of young men joining the clergy has risen since his visits.

So what is on offer?

Well it is a job for life, there is no such thing as redundancy packages for priests. Although the salary is not great, priests in Spain are paid an average of 700-800 Euros per month, the rewards are described as eternal, it is regarded as a happy job and it beats being unemployed.

Bucking the trend for equality, it is a job which is only on offer to young men.