U.S. Hospitality Jobs Provided Boost to Employment Growth in June
Photo Credit: Front desk employees at work at the Courtyard New York Manhattan. Skift / Samantha Shankman
Skift Take
Many hoteliers have said there's a talent gap in the hospitality industry and that hotels are missing key skills needed to help them create an enjoyable, twenty-first century guest experience. These job numbers prove hoteliers are responding to demand but time will tell if these new jobs are helping create a more skilled workforce.
The U.S. government is celebrating an optimistic jobs report released today which finds the U.S. gained 287,000 jobs in June 2016, the best single month gain since October 2015, and the hospitality industry is part of that uptick with some of the highest job growth.
With the U.S. in the middle of the summer jobs season, the hospitality industry added 59,000 jobs in June, or 20 percent of all new U.S. jobs created last month, for a total of 15.5 million employees in the sector as of June 30, based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These include positions at hotels, restaurants, museum and attractions.
Those 15.5 million employees represent a giant patchwork of jobs that aren't all directly supported by travelers.
According to the U.S. Travel Association, 8.2 million of those jobs are directly supported by money travelers spend during their trips. That's a new record for jobs suppo
