Malaga's construction sector accounts for eight of ten hardest-to-fill occupations

Eight of the ten hardest-to-fill jobs in Malaga province are in the construction sector, according to the latest labour market report from Spain's state public employment service (Sepe).

The list includes electricians, air-conditioning and refrigeration installers, metalworkers, crane operators, plumbers and painters, as well as health and safety technicians and surveying engineers.

There are only two professions that are not related to construction: specialist doctors, who occupy the first place in the ranking, and computer programmers.

"As economic activity and employment continue to grow, filling job vacancies has become an increasingly important issue. Employers are struggling to find workers with the skills and qualifications needed to meet current demand," the Sepe report states.

The report breaks down the factors behind recruitment difficulties for each occupation. A shortage of candidates is the main problem across all sectors, although healthcare specialists also cite working conditions as a key obstacle. In the IT sector, employers report a lack of technical skills, language abilities and experience among applicants. A shortage of suitably qualified workers also affects many construction trades.

The association of builders and developers of Malaga confirms that the shortage of qualified professionals, along with rising material prices, has become the main problem facing the construction sector. According to Manager Violeta Aragón, the province needs 13,000 professionals.

The Sepe has also developed its own indicator, based on data from jobseekers and people hired, to identify labour market imbalances caused by either a shortage or an excess of jobseekers compared with recruitment trends.

The occupations showing the greatest shortages of workers are waiters, agricultural labourers, bricklayers, administrative staff, farm workers, lorry drivers, cultural and artistic support professionals, cleaners and security guards.

Drawing on its extensive recruitment data and interviews with representatives from different sectors of the economy, the Sepe has also compiled a ranking of the industries and occupations offering the strongest employment prospects.

Construction dominates the list, with building, specialised construction activities and services and landscaping taking the top three spots. Accommodation services rank fourth.

Bricklayers also top the list of occupations expected to generate the highest number of full-time permanent contracts. Waiters come second, followed by another construction-related role: building labourers. Car, taxi and van drivers as well as administrative staff complete the top five.