Employment in beverage serving activities in Spain has seen varied growth and contractions from 2013 through 2023. The sector initially experienced substantial growth, peaking at 7.59% in 2015 and 7.44% in 2016. This trend continued at a slower pace until 2019, with only a minor dip during 2017. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulted in a significant employment drop of 12.31%. However, the recovery was evident as employment figures rebounded by 8.07% in 2021 and continued to grow, achieving a year-on-year variation of 3.5% in 2023, standing at 539.37 thousand employees.

Future trends to watch for:

Steady but moderate annual employment growth in beverage serving activities, with the sector expected to experience a 5-year CAGR of 0.71% by 2028.
Continuous recovery and growth momentum from the pandemic impact, albeit at a slower pace compared to the initial recovery years.
Increasing digitization and automation within the industry, which may affect employment rates and job nature.
Potential impacts of changing consumer preferences and economic conditions on the hospitality sector.