The vast majority of bars, restaurants and hotels have emerged from the pandemic with a bounce. Trade has been brisk and Easter was extremely busy, especially in Palma with the hotel federation reporting average occupancy levels of 85 per cent for hotels which were open around the island.
The trouble is finding enough staff. Some hotels have gone out on a limb and invested in properties which they can rent to staff at affordable rates, they could have just increased wages. But I guess for hoteliers keeping wages down while investing in property is another win-win situation for them.
However, bars and restaurants do not have that luxury and there appears to be a shortage of people willing to work in the hostelry sector. What is more, the post-Brexit employing of seasonal staff from the UK is much more complicated, despite many businesses looking for staff overseas. But with the highest level of unemployment being in the 20 to 25 year age group, surely some of the youngsters would be eager to work. I was 16 when I landed my first part-time job behind a bar. The problem is not only here in the Balearics, it appears to be the same across Europe and in the UK. Don’t people want to work or are they hanging on until they land their dream position, which more often or not is not going to happen?