Speaking more than one language has always been a safe bet to obtain success in business. This makes even more sense these days as we live in a fully globalized environment. Speaking a second language besides your native one has become more than just “important”, but an individual advantage to open up employment opportunities.

Spanish is a growing language, both in the cultural and business field; around 41 million people speak Spanish in a native sphere in the US and around 15 million as a limited competence. This shows how the Spanish language is by far the most spoken non- English language in the U.S today among people aged 5 and older.

Spanish keeps gaining weight as an imperative language in the public and economic life of the country. This future growth is very linked to the migration from Hispanic countries, while the number of native speakers of Chinese, English, and French decreases, the demographic weight of Spanish keeps growing.

Hispanic countries as a whole have a purchasing power of around 10% of the world’s GDP. More and more companies around the world are interested in establishing relationships with Spanish-speaking countries and localizing their products for the Spanish-speaking population market.

According to the January 2005 Korn/Ferry International Executive Recruiter Index, 79% of North American recruiters cited Spanish as the additional language most in demand by employers. French was next at 43%, followed by Mandarin Chinese at 30%.

Some of the sectors in the US which require or recommend the knowledge and use of Spanish are:

Educational sector

Each day the importance of not only language courses but bilingual education is expanding to enable inclusive education.

Healthcare services

Many hospitals need to ensure that proper communication between colleagues and patients is facilitated.

Law

In many courts across the country, Spanish translators are greatly required.

Marketing sector

If we have a look at the total consumption of goods and services of the US, we should take in mind that Spanish speakers establish a considerable percentage of that spending power.

Finance and banking sector

Banks seek the expertise of employees who can facilitate language differences to their clients.

Tourist sector

There is little doubt that the importance of Spanish to the hospitality industry is enormous. In 2019 the United States received 9.9 million arrivals from residents of Hispanic countries (Spain, South America, Caribbean, Central America).

Final Thoughts

It is clear that Spanish is a working tool to develop new business around the world. The United States has a big opportunity as with the emergence of the Hispanic community and its great speaking Spanish population. This leads to open many doors in the business field.