A Alicante employment landscape—recovery with persistent headwinds
Recovered quickly after the pandemic’s hardest months, Alicante’s job market shows a bright surface but uneven underlying currents. Industry jobs are still below pre-crisis levels, pulled down by higher energy costs, rising raw materials, and lingering global economic uncertainty. Agriculture faces a similar squeeze, with roughly a quarter fewer workers than in 2019 due to trade disruptions and weather-driven harvests across European markets. In contrast, construction and services have added workers, propelled by a solid pace of home transactions and a revival in tourism activity.
New figures from the National Institute of Statistics indicate that Alicante province currently employs about 121,400 people in industry. This marks a 21% improvement since 2021 but remains about 5% under 2019 levels. Inflation and related pressures help explain why the gap persists. Marian Cano, president of the Valencian Footwear Entrepreneurs Association, notes that the footwear sector was among the hardest hit by pandemic restrictions, which collapsed occupancy. Since then, rising costs and ongoing economic uncertainty have diminished competitiveness and slowed job creation.
Luis Rodríguez, president of the Alicante Federation of Metal Companies, echoes a similar concern. Some firms are progressing with innovation and modernization, while others lag behind. A major factor cited is the shortage of specialized workers to fill key roles across various industries, underscoring the call for stronger educational pipelines to meet demand.
Pepe Serna, head of the Valencia Community Textile Entrepreneurs Association, highlights sharp energy price increases that have disrupted finishing lines and led to temporary layoffs captured in ERTE measures. There is a request for government support to extend aid to this sector so employment stability can be maintained.
Agriculture
Agriculture remains behind 2019 in employment numbers. The total stands around 18,700 workers for the entire province, the same as last year but about 25% lower than before the crisis. Asaja Alicante president José Vicente Andreu separates the current downturn from the pandemic’s disruptions, noting that the sector actually performed well during COVID due to its strategic importance, yet now faces new headwinds that demand attention and investment.
The manufacturing and farming sectors share a common thread—cost pressures and supply chain delays that limit hiring. Higher energy costs, tighter access to inputs, and volatile harvests have all contributed to cautious hiring decisions, even while sales and demand recover in many markets.
Raw material costs and delays burden the manufacturing industry
Two new challenges help explain lower employment levels. The Ukraine conflict has redirected citrus production toward other markets and suppliers, increasing competition and oversupply pressure in parts of Europe, including Alicante. Additionally, unusual spring weather has produced erratic harvests, complicating planning and reducing the need for labor in some stretches of the year. These factors together help account for the slower pace of job growth in the province.
The construction and services sectors tell a different story. The current workforce in construction sits at about 62,300, up 28% from 2021 and 10% above 2019 levels, driven by renewed housing demand and solid market activity. Tourism-related services, supported by international visitors, employ roughly 610,400 people—an uptick of about 5% year over year and around 4% above pre-pandemic levels.