Why so many people on the Balearic Islands have two or three jobs

Why do so many people in Mallorca take on a second shift in the morning?

The question sounds almost rhetorical when you walk through Palma: on the Plaça Major a barista pulls the first espresso, you hear the story of the "second job" — and in the evening the same person might be serving fish to tourists in Cala Major. A survey shows it in black and white: while nationwide about 58 % of employees have at some point worked in parallel, on the Balearic Islands it's around 84 %, — as reported in When One Job Isn't Enough: Why People in Mallorca Often Work Multiple Shifts. Why has this become so normal here?

Between seasonal noise and winter silence: the obvious drivers

The islands live off tourism, as explored in More Jobs from Tourism — but at What Cost? How the Labor Market on the Balearic Islands Is Changing. You hear it in the parking lot noise in summer, in the temporary staff hired overnight for the high season, and in the quiet sound of the waves in November when many cafés downsize. Someone who gives a Spanish lesson in Portixol in July and steps in as service staff in September doesn't do it out of a love for multitasking, but because the bank account requires it. Rising living costs, more expensive energy and noticeably higher rents put pressure on household budgets — and seasonal fluctuations mean a single job often isn't enough.

More than just a few extra hours: the quality of work

Holding several jobs does not automatically mean more security. The phenomenon is ambivalent: for some, a side job is a sensible safety net against irregular income; for many others it is a symptom of precarious employment. Low hourly wages, temporary contracts, uncertain schedules and platform work create a reality of work with few social rights and high strain, as described by the ILO page on non-standard employment. Two or three shifts a day shrink free time, generate stress and put pressure on family life — an aspect that is often insufficiently discussed in public debate.

The invisible consequences: family, health and informal work

When the cashier on Avenida Jaume III smiles, she may already have been at the bar in the morning. That has consequences: childcare becomes more complicated, breaks become rare. In the long term such strains can weaken physical and mental health. At the same time, hardship pushes some toward informal work — undeclared work or poorly protected short-term gigs — because the bureaucratic effort or requirements for regular employment can be discouraging.

What is rarely addressed: gender, age groups and qualifications

Not everyone is affected equally. Women often bear the double burden of paid work and household duties; students and retirees supplement income with casual jobs. Well-educated young people sometimes accept several mini-positions because the labor market does not offer a suitable full-time position. The composition of the workforce, including the role of foreign workers, is analysed in Colorful Job Market: How Foreign Workers Support the Balearic Islands — and What Is Still Missing. These differences show: it's not just about income, but also about structure — which jobs the island economy creates and how stable they are.

Concrete approaches so side jobs don't become the permanent solution

It helps little to merely lament the statistics. Measures that work locally are needed: affordable housing and more social housing, referencing work by the OECD on affordable housing, economic promotion that extends across seasons instead of only a high-season boom, fair minimum wages and stronger controls against precarious contract forms. Better coordinated schedules, support for childcare and training programs can help make work more predictable. Cross-sector collective agreements and local cooperatives for young entrepreneurs would also be concrete steps.

An opportunity for the islands

The problem has a positive side: the high flexibility of the workforce shows commitment and adaptability. If politics and business do not merely exploit this effort but flank it with structural measures, the Balearic Islands could benefit from a more resilient, year-round economy. Otherwise the second job remains the norm — and normality is no substitute for security.

Brief conclusion: Far more people on the Balearic Islands work in parallel than in the rest of Spain. The reasons are well known: seasonality, rising costs and a fragmented labor market. The solution does not require a miracle, but bold local policies: more stable employment, affordable housing and measures that detach survival from the summer season.