The extraordinary regularization of immigrants will help alleviate the problem of vacancies in the hospitality sector this summer. This is one of the conclusions presented by Asempleo, the employers’ association representing temporary employment companies, in the presentation of their hiring forecasts for the coming months.
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“The effect will be palliative, to ease the tension suffered by the hospitality sector during the summer,” said Andreu Cruañas, president of Asempleo, who acknowledges advantages in this extraordinary regularization process, although he also criticizes how it has been carried out, with lack of foresight and without taking all factors into account. He refers to the fact that it was a political decision at a certain moment, and that it does not consider training or support factors, as well as the lack of mediation by public employment services.
This massive entry into legality of new foreign workers, although without a precise number for the moment until the process ends at the end of this month, will have effects on employment. In fact, it seems it is already having them. In the affiliation data for May, published yesterday, foreigners accounted for half of the growth in contributors, 111,000 out of a total of 232,000, showing a growth rate well above that of natives.
Although Social Security argues that it is too early to determine the influence of the process, there are signs pointing in this direction. “It is too early to determine it, but if you look at the curve of foreigner affiliation growth, there is a peak that can justify this reason,” argues Cruañas, who, however, warns that the speed of the phenomenon can be misleading and that from now on it may be more gradual.
These new affiliates may be workers coming from the underground economy who, upon obtaining documentation, move to occupy legal positions. Therefore, regularization may represent a strong temporary boost in employment growth, which may then moderate. In any case, everything depends on knowing the precise data of the regularization process.
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In this process, the latest data indicate that 550,000 applications have been received, of which 91,000 are already being processed, and another 50,000 will be processed shortly.
Looking ahead to this summer, Asempleo estimates that temporary employment companies (ETE) will sign more than 745,000 contracts in July and August, which will translate into 165,000 people hired. Of these workers, 33% will be immigrants, which is one point higher than the percentage recorded last summer.
In these months, half of the demand for temporary workers is focused on hospitality and catering, especially waiters, cooks, kitchen assistants, and receptionists. They are joined by tourist animators and event staff. The rest, the other 50%, comes from retail in tourist areas and large stores, where sales assistants, cashiers, and stockers are requested, as well as from transport and logistics, with demand for last-mile delivery drivers and warehouse workers.
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