Tourism wages recovered only partially in 2021 in Destination Barcelona

The Barcelona Tourism Observatory: city and region has presented the Job Market and Salaries of the Tourist Activity in Destination Barcelona 2021 report, in which it has been highlighted that effects of Covid-19 on the labour market of the tourist activity in Destination Barcelona still lingered during the second year of the pandemic.

Despite registering significant year-on-year improvements, the recovery of the job market was accompanied by restrictions caused by the pandemic, which continued to have a direct impact on those activities more dependent on social interaction, such as tourism, commerce and artistic activities. Therefore, the extraordinary measures to avoid the destruction of the productive fabric and jobs, such as the temporary layoff plans (Expedientes de Regulación Temporal de Empleo – ERTE), remained in force. However, it is estimated that in 2021, in the core of tourism activity in Catalonia as a whole, the number of ERTE files fell by more than 90%, so that the number of people who received this compensation for part of the decline in their wages fell sharply.

This report has been compiled with data on salaried workers in Barcelona city, Barcelona region and Destination Barcelona based on data from the Continuous Professional Life Sample. This sample collects data on persons affiliated to Social Security in effective terms and therefore remunerated with wages, without taking into account ERTO incomes or other unemployment benefits or allowances.

Main results of the report:

• The average salary of tourism activity stood at €19,140, which meant a year-on-year growth of +18.7%, well above the recovery of the rest of the activities (+4.4%), as they were less affected by the economic situation during the first year of the pandemic.
• The percentage of tourism employees with salaries below €1,000 decreased from 66.8% to 54.9%. This proportion remained higher than in the rest of the activities (22.1%).
• By type of activity, food and beverage services, which kept employing half of the workers in tourism, continued to be the activity with the lowest average wage (€13,084), while transport, the highest (€32,642).
• Average salaries in tourism in Barcelona region (€17,787) remained lower than those in Barcelona city (€21,746), where Ciutat Vella residents tourism workers received the lowest wages (€14,060).
• Women in tourism (€15,826) continued to receive lower salaries than men (€21,621) and only 68.1% of them worked full time, 12.4pp less than men.
• The proportion of foreigners in tourism (28.7%) kept being higher than in the rest of the activities (13.1%). However, this group continued to receive lower salaries (€20,254 in Barcelona city) than Spanish workers (€22,347).
• The proportion of workers under 30 years old in tourism decreased once again. It should be reminded that, during the first year of the pandemic the first affected jobs were the temporary ones and/or junior positions.
• Wages in tourism, as in all other activities, continued to have a direct positive relationship with age, education level, professional category or company size.
   

More information: Job Market and Salaries of the Tourist Activity in Destination Barcelona 2021