Profiling the Employment and Wage Features on the Portuguese Accommodation and Food Services Activities Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

According to the Tourism Agency of the United Nations (UN Tourism), in most regions of the world, women comprise most of the tourism workforce and tend to concentrate on the lowest-paid and lowest-status jobs in tourism. Indeed, literature recognises that tourism is one of the sectors with a feminised labour force. In Portugal, tourism is a crucial sector of the Portuguese economy and contributes significantly to wealth and job creation. This paper analyses the sector's employment and wage characteristics before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on wage gender disparities. Using data from the National Statistical Office (INE), the study highlights the sector's susceptibility to economic shifts and the exacerbation of existing wage inequalities due to the pandemic. The analysis reveals that while the sector experienced severe job losses and wage declines during the pandemic, there has been a gradual recovery, albeit with persistent gender wage gaps and a high reliance on part-time employment. The findings underscore the need for targeted policy measures to support the sector’s resilience and promote gender equality in the workforce, ensuring a more equitable recovery in the post-pandemic period.