Filling certain jobs in the Canary Islands faces growing difficulties due to the housing crisis, a lack of specialized profiles, and working conditions that do not always align with worker expectations. The latest report from the State Public Employment Service (SEPE) on the adjustment of supply and demand reveals a significant rise in hard-to-fill vacancies. In the fourth quarter of 2025, 1,591 vacant positions were recorded, marking a 23.3% increase compared to the previous year.
This mismatch occurs in a labor market with fluctuations. Despite reaching an occupancy record, the archipelago lost 25,100 workers between April and June 2026, an eleven-fold increase in decline compared to the same period the previous year. The high dependence on tourism, a sector with significant seasonality and temporary contracts, remains a challenge.
The SEPE report attributes the coverage difficulties to a combination of factors. Hospitality, a key economic driver for the Canary Islands, is among the most affected sectors. According to SEPE, 49.1% of hard-to-fill positions fall within this activity. In the Canary Islands, Fermín Sánchez, president of the Association of Bars, Cafeterias, Restaurants, and Leisure of the province of Las Palmas, points to high labor absenteeism as the main problem, rather than a lack of candidates. Unforeseen absences and prolonged leaves complicate business organization and necessitate continuous hiring.
Sánchez also identifies the housing crisis as a factor complicating hiring in Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, where high rents deter workers. The situation worsens in summer when many workers move to hotel establishments.
SEPE identifies the lack of candidates as the cause for 26% of mismatches, but Sánchez disagrees for the hospitality sector, where he believes supply exists and the issue is maintaining staff stability. However, healthcare, residential care, and social services do present notable difficulties in filling vacancies. Sebastián Sanso Marrero, General Director of Hospitales Universitarios San Roque (HUSR), confirms the challenge in filling profiles like care assistants and nursing, a situation that is not temporary. The Business Federation of Dependency (FED) estimates the national deficit at 160,000 professionals.
Sanso attributes this situation to an aging population, which increases the demand for care services, while the supply of trained professionals is not growing at the same pace. The physical and emotional demands of direct care, along with a training gap in vocational training specialties, also play a role. Competition with public healthcare and staff turnover make retaining talent difficult.
Working hours are another key factor, accounting for 79% of reasons preventing a labor 'match'. Night shifts, weekends, and holidays, essential in healthcare and care services, reduce the number of willing candidates, especially among younger profiles.
SEPE also notes a lack of experience (26%) and specific technical skills (20%) as causes for hiring difficulties. Fermín Sánchez partially agrees, stating that high turnover prevents the development of specialized professionals, despite many companies offering direct training. Constant rotation limits experience acquisition and staff specialization.
In expanding technical sectors like audiovisual, there is a notable shortage of local animation specialists. Although the percentage of foreign workers has decreased, the supply remains insufficient for business demand.
This mismatch occurs in a seemingly contradictory labor context: the Canary Islands have a higher unemployment rate than the national average, yet the proportion of hard-to-fill vacancies is below the country's average. High unemployment may be partially mitigating these issues, but difficulties are concentrated in specific activities and professional profiles, indicating specific imbalances between business needs and candidate qualifications or availability, rather than a widespread labor shortage.
