Portugal’s restaurants and hotels have registered a welcome number of job increases as at the end of the first quarter of 2018, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics.For the first time in 10 years, the number of jobs at the end of March was up on the year before as the sector employed an additional 21,400 people. The restaurant sector led the increase, taking on 17,400 new members of staff taking the total in the market, to over 315,000.
José Manuel Esteves, general director of the Hospitality and Restaurant Association of Portugal (AHRESP), commented that this growth in the restaurants and accommodation sectors reflected, “the confidence of our members. Even in low season, companies are hiring, which means that we are on the right track in the fight against seasonality."
Supplying the tourists to fill hotel rooms and swell Portugal’s restaurants, UK airline easyJet has reported its “best winter ever,” after the company transported 36.8 million passengers in the six months to 31 March, with a seat occupancy rate of 91.1%, up 0.9 of a percentage point.
"The robustness of the easyJet network and business model helped the company to deliver a strong performance in the first six months of the year," read the airline's statement, attributing its success to a "positive business environment and increased occupancy rate as well as capacity reductions at other airlines operating in easyJet markets."
easyJet's revenue rose 19.5% to £2.183 billion, compared to £1.827 billion in the same period last year and the company claimed its total revenue per seat had increased by 10.9% to £54.10 while the overall cost per seat, excluding fuel, increased by 2.2% to £43.11, allowing a pre-tax overall profit of just £8 million.
This slim profit is a lot better than the same period last year when the company managed to lose £212 million.
"Our performance was helped by the capacity reductions of other airlines, but it was also due to the robustness of the easyJet brand, which is now the UK's most approved brand of air transport services, surpassing BA for the first time," trilled Johan Lundgren, easyJet’s new CEO.
