Friday, June 7, 2024 U.S. hotels added 700 jobs in May, according to new data, highlighting persistent workforce shortages as the industry struggles to fill 191,500 vacancies since early 2020.
U.S. hotels added 700 jobs to their payrolls in May, according to recent government data, highlighting the persistent challenge of filling vacancies due to a nationwide workforce shortage.
“Hotels are ready to grow and create more jobs, but the nationwide workforce shortage that has persisted in the post-pandemic economy is preventing that from happening,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey . “Congress and the administration can provide relief to hoteliers by taking a number of key steps to increase the pool of available workers. Those include expanding the number of H-2B visas, extending the certification period for H-2B employees, and making it easier for qualified asylum seekers to start working in the U.
S.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that total hotel employment now stands at approximately 1.92 million.
This figure is still 191,500 short of the industry’s employment level in February 2020, right before the pandemic. The struggle to find available workers continues to impact the sector. To combat the workforce shortage, hotels have been offering higher wages, better benefits, and more flexible working conditions: As of April, the U.
S. had 8.1 million job openings but only 6.
5 million unemployed individuals available to fill these roles, according to th.
