Black Friday, 27 November, is the date on which, according to American tradition, the major Christmas shopping season begins. In the past, it was believed ... that this was when the retail sector began to turn a profit and move into the black (hence the term).
In recent years, not only have special offers around that day or weekend been extended, but Cyber Monday has also been introduced as the day for technology sales. This year, it falls on 30 November.
To cope with this period, companies are bringing in extra staff. According to Randstad's calculations, Malaga province will gain 4,090 employees, 4.2% more than last year.
Malaga will be the second Andalusian province to create the most jobs in the run-up to the Cyber Monday and Black Friday shopping season, after Seville (4,935). However, it will not be the province where recruitment grows the most compared with the same period in 2025. In fact, there is only one province where the increase will be smaller: Cordoba, where the rise will be 2.7%, reaching 1,160.
The largest increase will be in Almeria, at 13.6%, reaching 3,840 new jobs. Across Andalucía as a whole, Randstad forecasts 21,020 new jobs, 7.8% more than last year.
Andalucía, third-ranked region in terms of recruitment
"Andalucía accounts for a large proportion of the country's employment during this sales period, demonstrating the vitality of our economy. We are witnessing a Black Friday in which Andalucía will play a decisive role, driving strong performance both in high-street shops and at logistics centres, with record figures in provinces such as Seville and outstanding growth in Almeria," regional director for temporary work for Randstad's south-east Ana Hervás said.
Spain will witness the creation of a total of 124,300 jobs, 5.3% more than in the previous season. Andalucía will be the third-largest region in terms of the number of contracts. Alongside the region of Madrid (22,345) and Catalonia (21,380), it accounts for more than half of the jobs forecast for the whole country.
Virtually all regions will increase their recruitment figures this season. The exceptions will be Castilla-La Mancha, which will record 6,115 contracts (-0.2%), and Extremadura, which will remain stable at around 1,450 contracts.
Sectors and profiles
As for the sectors that will see the greatest demand for workers, these will be transport and logistics, accounting for 63.7% nationwide. Retail, meanwhile, will account for the remaining 36.3%.
The main roles logistics companies will be looking to fill in order to cope with the surge in consumer spending at this time of year will be order pickers, packers, forklift operators, warehouse assistants and delivery drivers, as well as customer service staff to handle the boom in e-commerce.
However, the success of e-commerce will not slow down recruitment at retail outlets, according to Randstad. In fact, it anticipates that brands will also strengthen their in-store teams with shop assistants, promoters and sales advisers: roles in which a friendly approach, communication and expert advice are crucial, particularly in sectors such as technology, beauty and food.
Randstad's report says that, as sales campaigns are becoming increasingly extensive and demanding, companies are seeking to recruit employees well in advance so that they can train them in products, sales pitches and procedures, while also ensuring their loyalty and availability for the busiest sales periods.
Across all types of roles, companies are placing increasing value on the ability to use digital tools and support solutions for operational management in the workplace. Workers are expected to resolve customer enquiries quickly and independently in an omnichannel environment, where customers combine in-store visits with online shopping.