Portugal has a diminishing labor shortage in tourism and travel, with the WTTC estimating that the sector lacked 85,000 workers this year and that 53,000 vacancies will remain unfilled in 2022.

In a report released this Tuesday, December 28, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that 85,000 tourism and travel jobs are known to fill this year, across the country. .

For the WTTC, the numbers are “worrying” and appear to be the “significant impact” that the shortage of labor can have on the recovery of the Portuguese economy.

The World Council uses data compiled by Oxford Economics and which analyzes labor shortages in Portugal and other major tourism markets, such as the United States, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy and France, focusing on the period between July and December of 2021 and 2022.

“All countries revealed a shortage of labor, with the offer of employment starting to surpass the supply of available labor”, says the WTTC in a statement.

As unemployment rates decline and demand rises, as tourism and travel companies “have difficulties filling jobs” and the report shows that in Portugal, one in six job offers are left unfilled.

“Portugal’s economic recovery could be undermined if we don’t have enough people to fill these places as tourists return,” he said. Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, quoted in a statement.

The report shows that labor shortages began to increase in the second half of this year, especially in the summer months, as restrictions eased and pressure on the sector increased.

Next year, WTTC estimates that the shortage of labor remains in the sector, but smaller. The organization predicts that 53,000 vacancies in tourism and travel will remain unfilled.