X-ray of tourist employment in Lanzarote: volatile, sensitive and of low labor sustainability

The Menorcan institutions invest more public money than those of Lanzarote and allocate most of it to social services, the environment and housing

March 19 2024 (06:00 WET)
Updated in March 19 2024 (06:00 WET)
Room attendant. Photo: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio.
Room attendant. Photo: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio.

Tourism is a key engine for the economic development of Lanzarote. While islands like Menorca show a greater "diversification in their commercial park", although with a prevalence of the services sector, on the Canary Island the tourism sector coexists, pulling the real estate and construction sectors. This is reflected in the report System of joint indicators between Lanzarote and Menorca. Anniversary of the declaration as Biosphere Reserves (1993-2023).

The economic dependence on tourism "has amplified" the moments of crisis. An example of this was the economic recession of 2008 or the one caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. In the first case, it "lasted longer than in other places" and in the second it "caused a tourist zero" for several months with "devastating economic consequences."

The increase in employment in both islands is linked to tourist seasonality. So, despite the fact that employment contracts have grown, the quality of employment "in general presents features far from labor sustainability." This sustainability is nothing more than a space where the well-being of employees and the reconciliation between work and personal life are encouraged.

The aforementioned report argues that the evolution of unemployment in the islands shows "the volatility of the labor market" as well as its "sensitivity" to external factors. For example, this dependence meant that in 2008 Lanzarote reached 33% unemployment rate. In contrast, Menorca "has managed to maintain a lower rate at all times."

Salaries are also different in both islands. The average income per person in Menorca exceeds that of Lanzarote by 21%. Thus, it is also "better distributed" than on the island of volcanoes. "Menorca has consistently maintained lower rates of inequality than Lanzarote over the years," the report adds.

This situation also extends to both Archipelagos, where the Canary Islands concentrates higher rates of risk of poverty and social exclusion than in the rest of the country, while in the Balearic Islands it is below the average.

In conclusion, the analysis highlights that the public spending of local entities is higher in Menorca than in Lanzarote. For example, the Balearic Island allocates more resources to social services, the environment and housing. At the same time, in Lanzarote public institutions invest more in general expenses and infrastructure, covering operating and running costs of the public administration and urban works.

Arrecife Homes. Photo: José Luis Carrasco.
Lanzarote gained nearly 60,000 inhabitants in the last 30 years
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