Editor’s note: This article was first published in May 2012. The forecasts it reports, around 60,000 jobs lost between May and July 2012, the 2011 tourism and employment growth figures, and the Funcas and Analistas Financieros forecasts, were made then. The actual outcome is not reported.
We hope we’re wrong. According to a study, summer is set to become the season that loses 4.5% of employees. Since the crisis began, the summer season had been a respite from falling employment, thanks to the hiring that comes with the tourist season.
It seems that 2012 breaks the trend, and in May, June and July employment will fall by around 60,000 jobs.
The tourism sector
Tourism is expected to drive this fall in summer employment, because of the sector’s poor outlook: it expects the number of foreign visitors to Spain to stall this year, with serious consequences for jobs. This comes despite countless criticisms prompted by remarks that the sector’s business growth does not increase employment in proportion to the growth in business.
An example of this can be seen in the figures for the second quarter of last year, when tourism grew by 8.7% against job creation of 1.3%. In the last quarter the figures were similar: tourism grew by 4.7% and employment by less than 1%.
The analysis
According to Funcas (the savings banks’ research foundation, Fundación de las Cajas de Ahorros), the expected fall will reach 3.3% this year, while Analistas Financieros puts it at 4.3%.
These figures are backed by the Labour Force Survey (EPA), which shows a new upturn in job destruction reaching 70,000 contributors, despite the rise in employment brought by the Easter holidays.
In year-on-year terms, employment will fall by 4.5% this quarter, the most negative figure since the crisis began, though it does not reach the 7% drop suffered in the summer of 2009.
Looking for a summer job
Summer is when many students look for work so they can cover their financial needs and gain some work experience. At a time when the situation is getting tougher, anyone interested should play it safe when looking for a summer job.
Don’t travel without having a job lined up. Look for work from home before going to the place. Search the job portals for summer openings and get your network of contacts in the growing tourist areas to help you with the difficult task of finding an opportunity to work over the summer.
Another option is to get training in the field you’re studying by taking part in the grant or internship programme offered by your school or university.
Featured image: Jorge Franganillo, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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