Restaurants in Majorca could be forced to close due to one issue, but it’s not a problem that authorities can easily fix.

The eateries are having difficulty finding staff to work in the restaurants as “people prefer to live than work”.

President of the CAEB Restaurants Association, Alfonso Robledo, says that restaurants are struggling to find staff, reports Majorca Daily Bulletin.

The staff shortages experienced since the pandemic have reduced the number of tables in some cases.

Restaurants are having to come up with ways of balancing shifts, including closing for two days a week.

Mr Robledo said: “The restaurant sector is not growing as much as it could do because of the lack of professionals.

“This in fact started before the pandemic; now every year it is more difficult to be able to get all the staff who are needed. But Covid did mark a before and after; people now prioritise living more than working.”

Robledo insists that the lack of workers in the restaurant sector is not due to pay. He said: “We have the best hospitality agreement in Spain.”

A typical salary is €‎1,500 (£1,255.65) net per month in 14 payments. However, he points out that tips have been reduced considerably, given that more and more customers now pay by card.

He said young people do not want to work in hospitality as working nights impacts their social life. He said restaurants are looking to employ people aged 50 and over to combat this.

Robledo points to a familiar issue—the high cost of living in Majorca and the Balearics, especially for housing, is one of the main reasons why people from the mainland no longer want to come to work.

In Andalusia, which supplied many seasonal workers, there is now a much higher demand for hospitality professionals. There is another factor—Brexit. This resulted in young Britons not coming to work as waiters.

Restaurant closures are expected to triple this year in Majorca, with around 600 restaurants estimated to go out of business in 2024, up from 186 in 2023.