Canary Islands see 29,112 hours of unpaid overtime each week

The CCOO trade union has recorded 29,112 hours of unpaid overtime in the Canary Islands. And this, at least on average, every week. The analysis is based on the Spanish Labour Force Survey (EPA) for the year 2025. Based on average labour costs of 20.65 euros per hour actually worked, businesses saved around 600,000 euros in a single reference week. Conversely, this is the amount that employees were not paid for their work.

The construction sector accounts for the largest share: in the Canary Islands, this sector accounts for just under 28 out of every 100 hours of unpaid overtime. That is more than in the retail and hospitality sectors combined. Together, these two sectors account for 14.3 per cent of unpaid overtime. Public administration, education and healthcare follow, accounting for a combined total of 22.1 per cent.

There are significant differences between the four weeks analysed. The highest number of unpaid overtime hours was recorded in the second quarter, at more than 47,600. In the first quarter, the figure was 29,807 hours, and in the fourth quarter, 24,400. The third quarter recorded by far the lowest figure, at 14,589 hours. The Canary Islands are clearly bucking the trend in this respect.

Construction sector drives up overtime in the Canary Islands

In Spain as a whole, the construction sector – which is most prominent in the Canary Islands – accounts for just 4.4 per cent of unpaid overtime. Nationwide, public administration, education and healthcare lead the way with 29.3 per cent, followed by finance, property and insurance with 18 per cent, and transport and logistics with 16.5 per cent.

When broken down by individual employee, the figure for unpaid overtime on the Spanish mainland – at 0.12 hours – is higher than in the Canary Islands, where it stands at 0.033 hours. An earlier CCOO analysis on the subject, covering the years 2008 to 2015, had shown a figure of 0.24 hours. This means that unpaid overtime has halved within a decade. The distribution across sectors remained broadly stable.

Canary Islands: Overtime survey covers only a sample

Although CCOO is the organisation behind the survey, it also urges caution when interpreting the results. The EPA collects its data for only one specific week per quarter; the annual figures are an estimate based on four reference weeks. Furthermore, unpaid overtime affects only around two per cent of wage earners in the Canary Islands. Consequently, the sample is only partially representative when broken down by sector and quarter. The trade union therefore classifies its own findings as approximate values.

For those affected, unpaid overtime on the islands carries greater weight, as the Canary Islands are among the Spanish regions with the lowest wages. According to the Canary Islands Statistical Office (ISTAC), the average gross annual wage in 2024 stood at 25,120 euros. This represented an increase of 4.5 per cent compared with 2023.

In the catering industry, staff have been complaining for years about overtime and unpaid short breaks during split shifts. This involves two shifts being separated by a break that is often too long to remain on the premises, yet too short to really enjoy one’s free time. This was most recently reflected in staff shortages in restaurants across the Canary Islands.