"They work for 3 days and leave"/ Albania is "suffering", there are no waiters, entrepreneurs are "in trouble"

The labor shortage crisis has affected bars and restaurants. Aldo has been managing these activities for years. But recently, finding waiters, bartenders or even sanitary workers has become a challenge.

"Demands for waiters, bartenders or similar job positions are coming and going. We now have vacancies and currently the demands are very low ", he said.

Currently, in the bar and restaurant sector, there are about 15,000 vacancies. Entrepreneurs say that the main reason is the emigration of the population. Rising prices are another factor.

"They ask for very high salaries and do not have the right skills for the salary they ask for. They come, they work for 2-3 days and through a message they say that we are not at work tomorrow ", Aldo emphasized.

On the other hand, the requirements to complete courses in the field of bars and restaurants have been increased. The term, school waiter, is taking shape.

"In 2015, the salaries were 30,000 new lek, while today, without 50,000 lek, it is not easy to find, it also depends on the country and the skills you have. They see it as a short-term profession, but they must understand that even waiters can grow within the industry, today a waiter, tomorrow a manager.

Being a waiter is not about holding the plates or being polite. A waiter today must know in detail the dishes, the sauces, the way of cooking, the drinks or the wines ", declared Gladiona Dona, trainer and hotel consultant.

The Association of Bars and Restaurants has said that from the month of March, there will be an increase in prices, due to the high costs from the increase in wages and the increase in the price of import of coffee or tea. According to INSTAT, in Albania, there are 17 thousand bars and restaurants and almost 100 thousand people work in this sector.