Hotels, resorts, restaurants, bars and airlines in Europe, the UK, the US and beyond struggle to fill vacancies
The global hospitality sector employs around 30 million people in seasonal positions, and many of these will seemingly go unfilled as employers struggle to tempt workers back after the pandemic.
Popular destinations such as Greece, Portugal and Spain are expecting a busy summer, but are anticipating problems with staffing in a number of areas, mainly customer-facing positions such as bartending and table service.
Money “not necessarily the issue”
The Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises is adamant that waiters at popular summer resorts live on a comfortable living wage — Shutterstock
Resorts in Spain seem to be struggling more than most, with industry experts warning that up to 50% of positions in popular resorts such as Benidorm may remain unfilled, leading to reduced capacity or, in some cases, complete closure.
The Spanish government claims that a number of factors, including low pay and poor working conditions, have contributed to the scarcity of employees. The Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises backs up these claims — in part — but says that money is not necessarily the issue.
“The salary of a waiter in Benidorm is about €1,200 per month and in addition, there are a lot of tips, especially with the English – each waiter takes about €300 more per month” said a spokesperson, going on to say that “precarious” contracts and “a lack of recognition” were increasingly important factors.
