U.S. Hotels’ 35 Percent Unemployment Rate Remains Staggeringly Higher Than National Average
Photo Credit: U.S. hotel unemployment remains out of step with the significantly lower national average. Pikist
Skift Take
The upcoming fall and winter months are likely to expand the unemployment gap even further between the hotel industry and overall economy due to expected diminished leisure travel.
The U.S. added 1.4. million jobs in August, lowering the national unemployment rate to 8.4 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
While the monthly BLS report notes notable jobs gains in the leisure and hospitality sectors, the hotel industry isn’t exactly celebrating. Hotel unemployment remains at nearly 35 percent.
“The good news is the national unemployment rate dropped to 8.4 percent, and that’s fantastic, but the flip side is it paints a rosy picture when what we’re experiencing in our sector of the economy isn’t getting the attention it needs,” said American Hotel & Lodging Association CEO Chip Rogers.
The leisure and hospitality secto
