According to a recent study, hotels and resorts are managing industry-wide employment shortages by giving prospective recruits better salaries and improved incentives.
About 80 per cent of hotels, according to data from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), are suffering a staffing shortage, with 22 per cent reporting that the shortage is severe and 41 per cent saying that housekeeping is their top hiring requirement.
Responses show that 71 per cent of poll participants claimed to have raised wages, 64 per cent to have offered more flexibility, and 33 per cent to have enhanced benefits to attract workers. An average of seven positions per property require filling, according to respondents.
There is some good news, however. The figures show an improvement from September 2022, when 43 per cent of respondents identified housekeeping as their top hiring priority, and 87 per cent claimed they were short-staffed, with 36 per cent saying exceptionally so. The average number of positions open has also fallen from a high of ten per property.
“Recruiting enough workers continues to be the top challenge for many hoteliers, and this is leading to historic career opportunities for hotel employees,” AHLA CEO Chip Rogers said. “We need Congress to help address workforce shortages with bipartisan solutions to incorporate more immigrants into the American economy,” Rogers continued.
According to AHLA data as of December, national average hotel salaries have reached record highs of over $23 per hour, growing more quickly than average wages across the economy since the pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics reports that hotel employment is down by more than 250,000 jobs compared to February 2020. As a result, properties are looking to fill many positions lost during the pandemic, including nearly 100,000 hotel jobs currently open nationwide.
Source: TravelPulse
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