[Spain] Staff crisis as hotels struggle to fill 200,000 summer vacancies

Hotels, bars and restaurants in Spain are facing a staffing crisis just before the peak holiday season, leading many bosses to hire staff with no experience, no CVs and very little training, Mirror reports.

The 200,000 job shortfall is causing major headaches for tourism industry bosses who are struggling to keep services up and running in holiday hotspots around the nation, according to reporting from WalesOnline.

Thousands of workers left Spain's hospitality industry when international travel shut down during the pandemic and many did not return, leaving employers with a desperate shortage.

What impact the shortfall will have when large numbers of visitors arrive during the school holidays at the end of July and in August remains to be seen.

In a bid to fill outstanding vacancies, prospective employees have reportedly been offered bigger salaries, free accommodation and extras such as cash bonuses and health insurance.

Gabriel Escarrer - chief executive of Majorca-based hotel chain Melia - said, "Many employees have decided to move to other sectors, so we are starting an industry from scratch and we have to fight for talent."

Mr Escarrer’s company recently provided accommodation, sometimes in hotel rooms, because of a shortage in rental options near its resorts.

According to official data, bars and restaurants have increased workers' wages by nearly 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to a year earlier. However, tourism is still the sector that pays employees the least, around 1,150 euros per month.

Staff shortages are particularly urgent in Spain and Portugal, where tourism accounted for 13 per cent and 15 per cent of economic output respectively before the pandemic.

The problem has been exacerbated by tighter restrictions on employing UK seasonal workers in destinations like Spain and other hotspots after Brexit. This has left thousands of summer roles unfilled.

Europe's largest hotelier Accor is running trial initiatives to recruit people who haven't previously worked in the industry, Chief Executive Sebastien Bazin said.

Accor operates brands such as Mercure, ibis and Fairmont in over 110 countries, it needs 35,000 workers globally, he said.

"We tried in Lyon and Bordeaux ten days ago and this weekend we're having people interviewed with no resume, no prior job experience and they are hired within 24 hours.”

In the short term, Mr Accor is filling roles in France with young people and migrants while also limiting services.

"It's students, people coming from North Africa," Mr Bazin said. "And basically closing restaurants for lunch or (opening them) only five days a week. There's no other solution."

The new recruits are given six hours of training then they learn on the job, he said.

Spain's catering industry is 200,000 workers short and Portuguese hotels need at least 15,000 more people to meet growing demand, according to national hospitality associations.

Source: Mirror

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

Hotels, bars and restaurants in Spain are facing a staffing crisis just before the peak holiday season, leading many bosses to hire staff with no experience, no CVs and very little training, Mirror reports.

The 200,000 job shortfall is causing major headaches for tourism industry bosses who are struggling to keep services up and running in holiday hotspots around the nation, according to reporting from WalesOnline.

Thousands of workers left Spain's hospitality industry when international travel shut down during the pandemic and many did not return, leaving employers with a desperate shortage.

What impact the shortfall will have when large numbers of visitors arrive during the school holidays at the end of July and in August remains to be seen.

In a bid to fill outstanding vacancies, prospective employees have reportedly been offered bigger salaries, free accommodation and extras such as cash bonuses and health insurance.

Gabriel Escarrer - chief executive of Majorca-based hotel chain Melia - said, "Many employees have decided to move to other sectors, so we are starting an industry from scratch and we have to fight for talent."

Mr Escarrer’s company recently provided accommodation, sometimes in hotel rooms, because of a shortage in rental options near its resorts.

According to official data, bars and restaurants have increased workers' wages by nearly 60 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to a year earlier. However, tourism is still the sector that pays employees the least, around 1,150 euros per month.

Staff shortages are particularly urgent in Spain and Portugal, where tourism accounted for 13 per cent and 15 per cent of economic output respectively before the pandemic.

The problem has been exacerbated by tighter restrictions on employing UK seasonal workers in destinations like Spain and other hotspots after Brexit. This has left thousands of summer roles unfilled.

Europe's largest hotelier Accor is running trial initiatives to recruit people who haven't previously worked in the industry, Chief Executive Sebastien Bazin said.

Accor operates brands such as Mercure, ibis and Fairmont in over 110 countries, it needs 35,000 workers globally, he said.

"We tried in Lyon and Bordeaux ten days ago and this weekend we're having people interviewed with no resume, no prior job experience and they are hired within 24 hours.”

In the short term, Mr Accor is filling roles in France with young people and migrants while also limiting services.

"It's students, people coming from North Africa," Mr Bazin said. "And basically closing restaurants for lunch or (opening them) only five days a week. There's no other solution."

The new recruits are given six hours of training then they learn on the job, he said.

Spain's catering industry is 200,000 workers short and Portuguese hotels need at least 15,000 more people to meet growing demand, according to national hospitality associations.

Source: Mirror

(Link and quotes via original reporting)