Tourism replaces construction
as Spain’s main employment
driver
Tourism has been one of the main
engines behind Spain’s economic
recovery and it is now the most
important source of employment.
According to a survey by the Spanish
Institute of Tourism (Turespaña),
2.65 million people – 2.17 million
waged workers and 483,861 private
contractors – were employed in the
sector in spring. This represents 13.7%
of Spain’s working population (19.34
million people), meaning tourism
has overtaken construction as the
top employer sector in the country.
However it cannot compete when it
comes to salaries.
According to a study by the INE, the
average annual salary of a construction
worker in 2008 was €20,706.7 –
48% more than the €14,000 received
by an average hospitality worker. In
2016, the last year with available data,
hospitality workers were earning
€14,125.3 – just 1.2% more.
Salaries in construction meanwhile
have risen 7% to €22,163.46.
Hospitality employees were paid an
average of €9.32 an hour in the first
semester of 2018, while construction
workers received €11.73 an hour. Also
The seasonality of tourism means
employment in the sector fluctuates
greatly between summer and winter.
In the first trimester of 2017, more
than 2,660,915 people were working
in the tourism sector; three months
later that figure had dropped by
141,000 and by the first semester
of 2018, there were 240,000 fewer
workers. For full story see: El Pais in
English
Why the Lluxent forest fire
could happen again
Lightning caused the recent Llutxent
fire that destroyed 3,270 hectares,
burned about forty houses and forced
3,000 people to be evicted. The fire
originated in public mountains which
are owned by the municipalities
of Pinet and Llutxent, but whose