Black economy clouds Spain's recovery from crisis

Madrid

MANY of Spain's five million unemployed dream of finding a steady job in the economic recovery vaunted by the government - but a legion of undeclared workers still scrape by cash-in-hand.

"Nowadays the phrase 'steady job' means nothing in Spain," said Paloma Sotillo, 43. She is one of 1.7 million people in Spain who admit to earning at least part of their pay in the "black economy", without tax or social security contributions.