Does tourism really create jobs for young people? Yes! Employment increases significantly in the summer months and drops as soon as the season ends.
Every summer, the Albanian coast becomes more and more lively. The streets fill up, restaurants are open non-stop, and hotel rooms are booked weeks in advance. This is the time when tourism seems to fulfill its promise as an “economic engine.” But beyond the lively appearance of July and August, the labor market figures reveal a more complex truth. Yes, tourism creates jobs, but are these jobs sustainable, and how much do they really help young people? Scan Intel has analyzed the figures to see what the trend is.
The data speaks for itself. In the third quarter of each year, the percentage of young people (15–24 years old) employed with a temporary contract to the total number of employees increases significantly, right at the peak of the tourist season. In the summer of 2024, this percentage was 14.5%, almost twice as high as at the beginning of the year, when it was only 7.2%. A year ago, we face the same trend. In the summer of 2023, the percentage of young people with a temporary contract was 14.2%, while at the beginning of the year it was 12.5%, only to fall again in the following months.
This cycle repeats itself almost regularly during the summer season, with many young people temporarily employed in hotels, restaurants, beaches or hospitality structures, a good part of them without a long-term contract. Data from INSTAT for years confirms this pattern, tourism generates employment, but it remains seasonal, temporary and insecure.
So, does tourism create more jobs? Yes, but for a few months. There is other data taken into account by "Scan Intel" that supports this fact. Referring to the latest INSTAT data on the number of employees, we see that in the third quarter, employees in the 15-29 age group have the highest value and show a significant increase as well. The number of employees in this age group in the third quarter of last year was estimated at 196 thousand, up from 185 thousand in the first quarter and 183 thousand in the last quarter. The same trend is also present in 2023.
These figures once again reinforce the impact of tourism on the economy, but they also have the other side of the coin. This employment model is good, but short-lived. It may be a good opportunity for first experience, to earn some income, to enter the market, but it cannot be a long-term solution for a generation that seeks security, a career and a life in its own country.
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