Malaga will be the only province in Spain to see employment creation drop this Easter

Malaga will be the only province in Spain to experience a slowdown in recruitment these Easter holidays, compared to last year. The reason is obvious: the suspension of the high-speed rail.

According to the Randstad platform, which studies temporary employment, there will be 6,650 new jobs in Malaga province this Easter, compared to the 6,900 jobs last year, a decrease of 3.7%.

"This is a hard blow for the labour market in the province at one of its most critical moments," the study states. The uncertainty and the increase in travel time have already caused a drop in hotel bookings of between 25% and 30% for the Easter season.

"This slowdown in demand has a direct impact on seasonal hiring and means that forecasts are much weaker than in the rest of Spain," the report continues.

In any case, Malaga will be the Andalusian province with the highest number of contracts created in the heat of Easter, followed by Seville, with 6,535. According to the report, this makes both provinces the main centres of seasonal employment in the region.

The difference between Seville and Malaga is that the former is going to experience an increase of 12% compared to the same period last year.

Third in Andalucía is the province of Cadiz, with 4,870 new employees (+12.5%), followed by Granada, with 2,840 (+8.1%), Jaén, with 1,865 (+17.1%), Huelva, with 2,120 (+16%) and Cordoba, with 2,025 (+15.9%.

In Andalucía as a whole, Randstad forecasts the creation of 29,255 jobs for Easter, which represents an increase of 8.5% year-on-year.

"The strong tourist attraction of the region and the increase in visitors are driving recruitment in key sectors such as hospitality, consolidating Andalucía as one of the main drivers of seasonal employment in the country, despite the slowdown in visitor expectations as a result of the suspension of the high-speed train to Malaga," Randstad spokesperson Ana Hervás has said.

The truth is, however, that Malaga will weigh down employment in Andalucía. Although the region will lead the creation of employment this season, with 29,255 contracts, ahead of Catalonia (25,375 contracts), the Madrid (22,510 signings) and Valencia (16,795), it will be the region with the least growth.

In addition, Andalucía is behind the Spanish average (12.1%) in terms of growth. At the same time, nearly 18% of all the new employment in Spain this Easter will come from Andalucía, which, according to Randstad, places the region "as the driving force for seasonal employment at this time of year".

Regarding specific sectors, the hospitality industry will account for the majority of planned hiring during the Easter season in Andalucía.

Transportation and logistics follow, driven by increased travel and commercial activity. The entertainment sector comes third, also experiencing hiring growth linked to the rise in visitors and the cultural and tourist offers during this time.

The most in-demand roles include waiters, cooks, kitchen assistants, floor maids and receptionists, as well as drivers and logistics staff. There will also be a greater demand for tourist guides, entertainers and leisure staff.

The sector also requires more specialised and responsible positions, such as head waiters, event coordinators, restaurant managers or chefs.

According to the study, one of the main challenges for the sector in 2026 will be to attract and retain talent in a context of high demand and strong competition between tourism and service companies.

Companies are increasingly looking for professionals with experience, the ability to work in dynamic environments and language skills, especially in international tourism destinations. At the same time, the improvement of working conditions, continuous training and the digitalisation of services are consolidated as key factors to strengthen the competitiveness of the sector and guarantee a quality experience for visitors.