Looking for personnel in hospitality, transport and commerce

The Christmas recruitment campaignwhich covers from Black Friday until the January sales and represents an important boost for employment between the end of one year and the beginning of another, will generate 452,950 new hires in Spain, 4.7% more than last year’s campaign, when a total of 432,609 jobs were signed, according to the forecasts made public Randstada company specialized in the management of temporary hiring.

By sectorsthe hospitality industry will be the activity that will generate the most contracts (174,190) and the one that will grow the most, 12.4% compared to the previous year when 154,965 contracts were closed. For its part, transportation and logistics, one of the most benefited sectors at this time, will register nearly 160,000 contracts, 6.8% less than the previous year (171,200). Commerce, for its part, will generate 119,000 contracts during this campaign, 12.1% more than in 2024 (106,390).

Regarding the weight of the sectors, transportation and logistics represent 35.3% of the total vacancies, hospitality 38.4% and commerce just over 26.3%according to Randstad estimates.

For Andres MenendezManaging Director of Temporary Work at Randstad, “The Christmas campaign is one of the moments of greatest dynamism in the labor market, with a significant increase in hiring driven by the rise in consumption and intense activity in key sectors, such as commerce, logistics and hospitality. This year, Randstad’s forecasts maintain the increasing trend in hiring for this date as a result of the good progress of the economy and consumption”.

“In this Christmas campaign, the dynamism in the labor market of recent years is maintained, especially in the hospitality industry, such as consequence of the good moment that tourism is experiencing and that is attracting national and international visitors from multiple regions at this time”he added.

Extremadura and Navarra, the Autonomous Communities that are growing the most

All autonomous communities will register an increase in hiring compared to last year. The good performance of Extremadura and Navarra stands out, which will grow by 7.5% and 6.9%, respectively. They will also register above-average growth Canary Islands (6.4%), Aragon (6.3%), Andalusia and Cantabria (6% both), among others. On the contrary, the most modest and below-average hiring increases will occur in Castilla-La Mancha (2.2%), Catalonia (2.5%) and the Basque Country (2.6%).

In Randstad’s hiring analysis planned for this year, Andalusia remains the autonomous community with the highest volume, reaching 78,100 hires (+6% compared to the previous year), followed by Catalonia with 69,670 (+2.5%). The Community of Madrid, which increases hiring by 5%, is close to the volumes of Catalonia and, according to Randstad forecasts, will fill almost 69,000 vacancies this Christmas campaign.

The autonomous communities with the lowest volume of hiring will be La Rioja (2,620), Cantabria (5,570), Navarra (6,040) and Asturias (7,660). It coincides that these territories are among those with the least population, so in absolute terms this factor is reflected in the results of the forecasts.

Demand for packers, forklift drivers and waiters

During the Christmas campaign, the logistics field will emerge as one of the great drivers of employment. Companies in the sector will need to strengthen their teams to face the increase in consumption, especially with profiles such as packers, forklift drivers, warehouse workers or drivers, among others. In addition, Randstad points out an uptick in demand for professionals specialized in customer service —both online and telephone— who master the technological tools necessary to perform this function.

In parallel, the hospitality industry will also register a notable growth in hiring, driven by the good times in tourism and restaurants. Establishments are looking for experienced waiters capable of adapting to work peaks in a short time, in addition to other profiles aimed at dealing with the public and with commercial skills. Among the most valued qualities are the ability to work as a team and the willingness to resolve day-to-day incidents.

Finally, The business will reinforce its staff with clerks, promoters and sales profilesin which close customer service and communication skills are especially appreciated. Both in the logistics sector and in retailcompanies are placing increasing emphasis on incorporating candidates with digital skills and familiarity with online platforms, a requirement that has gained weight with the expansion of electronic commerce.