As is the case with other sectors, the transport industry in Mallorca and the Balearics has an issue with a shortage of qualified personnel. Hauliers need more drivers and mechanics; the Balearic Transport Federation's estimate is around 400. The shortage is in part said to be a generational issue. Workers are retiring but are not being replaced by young workers.
A solution is to seek to recruit from overseas. Morocco, Colombia and Peru are countries to which the industry is turning. However, there are drawbacks. While applicants must have qualifications from their own countries, they also need to gain the necessary qualification in the Balearics. The course costs around 400 euros.
Companies can of course pay for this training if necessary, so it isn't an insurmountable problem. The greater obstacle is that of the cost of living and especially housing (assuming it can be found). Petra Mut, the manager of the Balearic Transport Federation, accepts that "the cost of living in the Balearic Islands is a problem, not just the price of housing". This is a reason why potential employees have ultimately decided not to move to the islands.
The employment has a seasonal element. Determined by tourism demand, it is typically eight to nine months a year. The federation recognises that there have to be guarantees of accommodation. Mut says an approach adopted by the hotel industry, that of providing accommodation to employees, could in the long run be a good solution.
But it is a solution that could simply add to the existing problems with access to housing.