One in three Lanzarote residents in employment works in the hotel and catering industry, a sector whose working conditions are among the worst in the entire Spanish economy, which is reflected in its turnover levels, the highest among all job profiles in the country.
The average salary of those working in bars, restaurants and hotels in 2022 (latest EPA data) was 1,390 euros gross per month in 12 payments, which is 16,680 euros per year. Meanwhile, the average salary in Spain is around 27,000 euros gross per year.
Hotel and catering employees also work the most effective hours and are twice as likely to have a part-time job as in the rest of the economy, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).
The INE has also revealed that 30% of hotel and catering workers have been in their job for less than a year. Far from the average for the entire Spanish labour market, where workers with less than twelve months' experience account for 18%. The lowest turnover is recorded among employees in financial activities, where those who have been there for less than a year account for 8%.
The tourism employers' association has been warning for years about the lack of workers in the sector. A high labour demand should increase wages in the sector, but this is not happening. At least not at the same rate as the rest of the economy. Between 2019 and 2022, hotel and catering wages grew by 5.9%, while the average for all sectors reached 7.4%.
Thus, many positions are filled with workers who have recently arrived from other countries. While immigration accounts for around 13% of jobs in the economy in general, in the hotel and catering industry it accounts for more than double (26.7%).