Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
As the peak summer season hits the Costa del Sol, crowded coastal restaurants, bars, and cafés, the hospitality industry is wrestling with a severe shortage of staff, many even reducing their opening hours to cope.
Javier Frutos is the president of the Malaga Hoteliers Association. According to him, an additional 5,000-6,000 workers will be needed to meet the demand this August. Many positions are vacant due to the lack of qualified workers. Businesses have been forced to use temporary solutions, such as hiring students to return to school once the summer season is over.
The sector has seen a positive trend in hiring, with an average of 100,000 workers employed monthly throughout the year, peaking at over 115,000 in August—a 3 per cent increase from last year. The Andalusian Employment Service has registered 20,000 applicants for hospitality jobs, but the shortage of qualified workers continues despite the fact that 20,000 people have applied.
Michelin-star restaurant – candidates don’t even show up for interviews
One striking example comes from Malaga’s Michelin-starred chef José Carlos García, who was recently looking for staff for his restaurant in the port of Malaga. The SAE sent ten candidates who had basic kitchen experience or limited English skills for front-of house roles. These candidates could have been candidates for the international clientele of the restaurant. Surprisingly, no one showed up for interviews. The restaurant needed to hire staff overseas.
Young won’t work – 6,000 jobs unfilled
This shortage of staff is not limited to the hospitality sector. Carmen Sánchez, Malaga’s regional delegate for Employment, Business, and Self-Employment, calls it a “structural problem” affecting industries like transportation, construction, logistics, and agriculture. She claims that many young adults don’t view hospitality as a viable profession. Those who are unemployed and registered with SAE dismiss the training options, saying things like “I won’t spend two years as a waiter.” Yet, Sánchez says that public training programs open doors to well-paid roles like sommelier, head chef, or dining room manager, offering excellent career prospects.
Despite improved salaries and better work-life balance in the industry, as Sánchez highlights, societal shifts are complicating recruitment. Frutos notes that younger generations are more interested in leisure rather than the “culture of work” that was once the hallmark of the Costa del Sol. High accommodation costs in the peak season complicate the problem. The Costa del Sol’s hospitality sector must bridge the gap between the available jobs and the reluctant workers, and balance their professional aspirations with personal goals.
