At the end of July, 670,650 people in the Balearics were registered with social security for work; they were in employment. Of these, just under a quarter were non-Spaniards, ten per cent higher than the national figure.
The hospitality sector accounted for a large portion of foreign workers - more than 60,000, a figure that was some 5,000 higher with the inclusion of self-employed workers. There were 16,000 non-Spaniards in the construction sector; 18,000 in retail/vehicle maintenance.
By nationality, Italians headed the list of foreign workers - 23,169, although many were Argentines with dual passports. Then came Moroccans, 15,101, and Germans (12,865).
The growth rate in the employment of foreign nationals is three times that of Spanish. Much of this employment is low-skilled. The jobs are ones that the islands' residents reject. As it is, sectors such as hospitality have consistently pointed to difficulties with hiring.
It is a foreign labour force that is required, but it is one that goes a long way in explaining population growth in the Balearics. The islands' politicians refer to overpopulation and therefore demand more state investment in infrastructure and an improved financing arrangement for the Balearics.
This growth over the years, especially in terms of the numbers of low-skilled, low-paid workers, also helps to explain why the Balearics, which in the 1980s and for the part of the 1990s topped the national table for per capita income, has slipped to no better than midtable.
And it is a growth, which shows no sign of stopping, that creates strain in various ways, housing being one of them.