Balearic tourist sector seeking over 100,000 workers

As was the case in 2024, recruitment has been brought forward to February and March. In February last year, the number of employees in the hospitality industry who were registered for work with social security had grown by almost ten per cent compared with 2023. In March, the increase was 10.6%. In all, and for the first time in March, there were 500,000 people registered with social security, a number more typical in the past of May.

The Mallorca Hoteliers Federation says: "The biggest growth is in the low-season months and that is what interests us. It is about sports tourism, cultural tourism, which goes beyond sun and beach."

More and more hotels are making the effort to remain open throughout the year, the federation adds. In Mallorca some 22% are open all year. This, the federation points out, has allowed the Balearics to be the only Spanish region where unemployment didn't rise in January. This was thanks to the "influence of tourism". "We seek to retain workers and attract talent, so the more months we can give them employment, the easier it will be to achieve this objective."

The federation nevertheless accepts there are problems finding workers. There is an increasing need for more qualified employees, especially in new technologies. "We are not only looking for waiters or receptionists."