Spain hospitality jobs lead year-end hiring plans

Spain’s hospitality sector has a net employment outlook of 37% for the final quarter of 2026, the strongest hiring forecast in the country. The figure is 19 points above Spain’s national average of 18%, according to ManpowerGroup’s Employment Outlook Survey. It is also six points higher than in the same period of 2025.

Employers are gearing up to add staff. Some 44% of hospitality businesses expect to expand their teams in the year’s final quarter, while 18% expect cuts and 38% plan no change.

ManpowerGroup commercial director Chema Fernández said hospitality had made one of the labour market’s biggest improvements since the previous quarter, as the sector becomes less seasonal in Spain.

Technology takes second place

Technology follows with a net employment outlook of 27%. Among firms in the sector, 44% expect to hire, 17% anticipate job cuts and 39% expect staffing levels to stay unchanged.

The technology figure is three points below the same period in 2025, but has improved on the previous quarter. Fernando Aguilar, commercial director at Experis, said businesses were still seeking skilled workers for transformation projects and the growing use of artificial-intelligence tools.

Christmas trading lifts retail and logistics

Construction and property rank next on 24%, followed by industry on 22%. Retail and logistics have a 19% net employment outlook for the end of the year, with Black Friday and the Christmas shopping period expected to support recruitment.

In those two sectors, 35% of businesses plan to increase staffing, 15% expect reductions and 49% expect no change. Their outlook is five points above the previous quarter and one point higher than the same period in 2025, ManpowerGroup said.

Topics: Jobs & labour · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com