Amid strong travel demand, The American hospitality industry will continue to struggle to attract workers this summer.
More than 75% of hotels say they suffer from staff shortages, according to the results of the latest survey carried out by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, a hospitality advocacy group with more than 32,000 members. From them, 13% say the shortage is serious. The AHLA surveyed 456 hoteliers during the week of May 16-24.
The results, published on June 10, reflect only a slight improvement over the same month last year, when 82% indicated a staffing shortage.
“Hotels are doing everything they can to attract and retain workers, But persistent labor shortages prevent our sector from meeting traveler demand and reaching its full economic potential.“said Kevin Carey, interim president and CEO of AHLA, in an emailed statement.
The industry of hospitality added 700 employees in May 2024, but tens of thousands of hotel jobs remain available nationwide. “Ahla members need help filling vacant jobs so they can maintain and expand their operations“he added.
The housekeeping service, which was significantly reduced during the Covid-19 virus pandemic and was somewhat limited as travelers returned, is the one that needs the most staff, according to 50% of the hotels surveyed by Ahla. The reception positions are located next, followed by the culinary ones.
To overcome recruitment difficulties, More than 85% of hotels reported increasing salaries in the last six monthsamong other advantages such as greater benefits, flexible schedules and hiring bonuses.
Since 2019, hospitality salaries have grown by 32%. That exceeds the national average; revenues across all sectors increased by just 25%. The average hourly wage for hotel employees was $23.76 per hour in March 2024, compared to $17.98 per hour five years ago.
However, the exodus of workers continues: A recent analysis by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows that leisure and hospitality jobs have the highest attrition rate of all industries, with 4.5% coming from work that has been abandoned since July 2022. That’s almost double the attrition of the retail sector (2.3%) and triple that of the financial sector (1.3%).
Ahla advocates for Congress to pass a series of bills to expand the worker pool. The proposed measures would, in part, eliminate the cap of 66,000 H-2B visas for temporary workers, extend the certification period for H-2B visa holders to three years, and They would make it easier for qualified asylum seekers to work in the United States, starting 30 days after their request.
To date, more than 190,000 hotel jobs are vacant, according to a June 7 Ahla report. The report mentions a nationwide labor shortage, with 8.1 million vacancies in the United States in April 2023 and only 6.5 million unemployed to fill those positionsaccording to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
