WTTC study reveals a labor deficit in Portugal

Thursday, August 4, 2022

A new study regarding staff scarcities by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) reveals a labor deficit in Portugal, with almost 50,000 Travel & Tourism jobs across the country expected to be lying empty.

The WTTC research took into account dearth of labor across Portugal along with important travel and tourism destinations like the U.S., the UK, France, Italy and Spain.

The research shows that Portugal is projected to witness a deficit of 49,000 labors in the third quarter of this year, with one in 10 jobs projected to stay vacant this year, making it the minimum affected country among those evaluated.
Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, more than 485,000 people were engaged in travel and tourism in Portugal. However, 2020 brought loss of more than 80,000 professions.

Portugal witnessed the start of the recovery in 2021, with a growth of 32.6% to the sector’s input to the nationwide economy. Nonetheless, deficit of staff have been predominant in Portugal, with thousands of positions remaining unoccupied, creating considerable stress for the tourism sector.

The study of WTTC shows that Portugal’s hotel industry is projected to be the worst hit, with both hotels and food and beverage sectors predicted to have 13% and 12% of job openings empty, respectively.

According to Julia Simpson, the President & CEO of the WTTC, the Portuguese government has always prioritized travel and tourism in their agenda, and is already dealing with this issue with tactical measures.

« Back to Page

• Thousands flee from France, Spain and Portugal as wildfire escalates