The president of the Confederation of Balearic Business Associations, Carmen Planas, says that the lack of qualified personnel is one of the main problems facing companies in the Balearics. "It is clear that there is a lack of staff in the restaurant and hotel sector, but also in construction, transport, the primary sector, etc. We are also aware of the difficulties that technology companies have as they cannot find the profiles they need.
"We have been suffering from the lack of qualified workers more acutely since the pandemic, when many people left the Balearics for different reasons. The rise in housing costs is one of the most serious problems we have. This affects seasonal workers, our young people and all those people assigned to the islands such as National Police, Guardia Civil, and the health service."
This is not a new phenomenon, but it has become more pronounced over the past three years and can harm the economy.
"It particularly affects the productivity of companies, as we have been complaining for some time. The Balearic economy is growing at a good pace, above the national average, but the lack of qualified personnel prevents companies from improving their productivity. Low productivity makes it impossible for the growth of the Balearic economy to be reflected in quality of life and well-being."
Planas points to the fact that the Balearics have slipped in the European ranking of per capita income. Having been 23% above the European average in 2000, the region was 10% below in 2022.
Although the solution isn't simple, she argues that one of the keys to alleviating the lack of personnel is commitment to training. "I never tire of repeating that we must strongly commit to training, in all areas and sectors. With better trained and qualified personnel, productivity improves."
Also key is digitalisation. "This is essential for Balearic companies to continue growing, to be increasingly competitive and, with the help of training, to be able to increase their productivity to compete and make their way in a global market."