Even with high unemployment, Alicante faces a major hiring mismatch
The current labor picture in Alicante seems contradictory. While unemployment remains high, the province reports more than 137,000 registered job seekers, and yet many local employers cannot fill open roles. This gap is a bottleneck for growth and for meeting customer demand, especially as activity rebounds after the pandemic and occupancy rates rise, driven largely by tourism and hospitality.
These dynamics drew the Sepe Professions Observatory into focus. In its annual Alicante labor market report, researchers surveyed human resources professionals and office managers who oversee employment programs. The result points to roughly twenty occupations in the province where hiring continues to lag across many firms.
Unsurprisingly, hospitality leads the list of hard-to-fill positions. Waitstaff and chefs appear particularly scarce, according to Sepe technicians who conducted the inquiries. Transportation also stands out, with a strong demand for truck drivers and related logistics roles. Gaps are noted among customs brokers and accountants, though in the accounting field the issue centers more on cross-skilling, language capabilities, and the adoption of new technologies. Management vacancies also outpace the supply of candidates with the required qualifications.
In retail, meat and fisheries trades are understaffed, according to observations credited to Sepe. In healthcare, shortages affect specialists, nurses, and general practitioners. The creative sector shows talent gaps most clearly in graphic and multimedia design work.
The construction sector reveals a misalignment between the available workforce and project needs. A major employer in the field, Fopa, has urged simplifying procedures to hire foreign workers. Experts consulted by Sepe highlight a persistent need for plumbers, structural cable installers, air conditioning technicians, and crane operators, all facing substantial vacancies.
Automotive service shops report shortages of spray painters and electrical mechanics. In the metallurgical industry, skilled welders are scarce, and there is demand for specialists who can repair marine or railroad equipment. The staffing challenge is spreading to more sectors as well, with butchers, fishermen, and hairdressers increasingly finding it difficult to recruit qualified staff.
Across the twenty occupations surveyed, employers reported recruitment difficulties in 71% of cases, and in 24% of cases it was effectively impossible to locate qualified candidates, leaving roles unfilled.
Construction relies on foreign labor due to local shortages
When specialized trades are considered, gaps also appear in automotive workshops where skilled metalworkers and electricians are in demand, and the metallurgical sector seeks welders. Firms also struggle to find repair technicians for marine or rail equipment.
Beyond these sectors, the study shows a broader reach: butchers, fishermen, and even hairdressers are reporting staffing obstacles. Across the twenty occupations, 71% of employers note recruitment hurdles, while 24% say finding suitable candidates is essentially not possible, leaving vacancies open.
Reasons for hiring difficulties
The study identifies several drivers behind the talent squeeze. The leading factor, cited by 38% of respondents, is a misalignment between the required education or experience and the available workforce. Technical skill gaps account for 31%, while 19% relate to working conditions, including pay and work schedules. Cross-skills, such as language ability and technology management, contribute to 12% of hiring obstacles.
External analyses by employers and unions offer a different lens. Some emphasize a shortage of skilled workers and advocate for more responsive training aligned with productive needs. They also push for policies that ease recruitment of foreign workers in unstable conditions and streamline criteria for hiring outside workers.
Wake-up call for hospitality amid inflation
Unions call for better integration of immigrants already present in Spain, though views differ on who should take the lead. Some observers argue that firms should actively partner with the public employment service to recruit, rather than waiting for applicants to arrive. Others point to salary levels, noting that the hardest-to-hire sectors often pay below the national average, which affects both recruitment and retention. Additional voices argue for stronger resources in public employment services and active labor market programs to help the unemployed rejoin the workforce, a model seen in several European nations but less developed in Spain.