Soller, without its influx of people on a daily basis is a very different place. The numbers shrink to those residents and second homeowners who are loving the difference this month brings. We recognise the people we walk past. The new people currently here looking to buy properties are very obvious. I love their enthusiasm and their questions such as ‘is it always this quiet?’ How we laugh at that one! The summer is always busy, but the big shock of the year starts with Easter. We go from few visitors to almost full occupancy the minute the two-week Easter holiday starts in Germany and the UK. This year Easter is late, with Good Friday being on April, 18th 2025. This means a few extra weeks before the intensity starts.
The stats in for 2024 show Soller ended the 2024 financial year with the lowest unemployment rate in history. Only 165 people were registered as unemployed. This figure is 2% below last year. This makes little difference to Food Bank use or dependence on Social Services and the Red Cross. The difference between earnings and high rents, plus the increased cost of living, mean that many still struggle. This is an island wide problem.
The vacancies for this year are coming in thick and fast and the larger employers are already interviewing their team for this year. The same problems as last year are already being heard. Incoming staff can’t afford Soller Valley rentals on the salaries they are offered. Some businesses are offering ‘living in’ accommodation but this is a short-term fix. Staff employed to start the season have often left within three months as the reality of shared accommodation sinks in. This situation made headlines last year and much discussion has gone on behind the scenes. Minimum wage contracts. plus, no end of season bonus, means many will hop from job to job where they can earn a little more. The Convenio contract which used to be highly prized is now little more than a guaranteed minimum wage. I look forward to some of the announcements to be made on this as the employment year starts. The rules are ready for big changes.
More and more staff commute to the Soller Valley for work. Public transport enables this to happen but only if the services are frequent enough. Currently the thirty-minute timetable works in the winter months. The rest of the year needs an every 15-minute bus to cater for workers and visitor needs. We always wait for the timetable changes to be announced to see if the needs of this community are being taken seriously.
Quiet, local January continues with celebrations for Sant Antoni and the many winter barbecues of this month. The current bus journeys to Soller are great with no overcrowding and the only transport option, with both Train and Trams in their sheds. This is a great local walking month, and many families and friends’ groups walk the trails every weekend, often ending in the barbecue sites in the mountains with a great food fiesta.
As the month develops the serious cyclists are back in our world. Many of them are teams preparing for the big race at the end of the month. Generally, they stay over in Alcudia where they are made very welcome. The cycling groups are accompanied by their support vehicles. Motorists’ hearts sink when they end up behind them. This is a very exciting time on the island for the cycling fans. Other road users have mixed feelings when the teams appear.
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