Years after the onset of the pandemic, most hotels continue to grapple with job vacancies in USA and Canada!
Industries across the economy are grappling with a shortage of workers, exacerbated by the fact that there are nearly three million more job openings than unemployed individuals, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) December 2023 report.
The hotel industry, in particular, has been significantly impacted by this shortage since the pandemic, as many workers laid off during the lockdown have not returned.
Despite efforts to recover, Robert Rauch, chairman and chief strategist for Hotel Guru, notes that around 80 percent of the workforce has returned, but skilled and experienced staff remain scarce due to workers transitioning to other industries.
While the situation is gradually improving, Kevin Carey, interim president and CEO of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), anticipates staffing challenges to persist in 2024, with hotels projected to add approximately 45,000 employees, still significantly below pre-pandemic levels.
A survey conducted by AHLA in January 2024 revealed that 67 percent of hoteliers are facing staffing shortages, with critical need in housekeeping. To attract and retain workers, many hotels have raised wages, offered flexible work hours, and improved benefits. Rauch highlights a 20 percent increase in labor costs compared to two years ago due to the low labor supply and multiple job openings.
Moreover, hotels are getting creative with perks such as same-day pay, free in-shift meals, and transportation stipends to entice potential employees. Jeanelle Johnson, a principal at PwC, underscores the importance of investing in training programs and leveraging technology to streamline processes and reduce staff burden.
Danielle Hawkins from Deloitte emphasizes the significance of offering holistic employee value propositions that encompass career development opportunities, nontraditional benefits, and a culture of inclusion to foster employee retention.
The hotel industry, like many others, is grappling with a labor shortage exacerbated by the pandemic, with skilled workers remaining scarce despite some return to the workforce. Efforts to attract and retain employees include raising wages, offering perks, investing in training and technology, but challenges persist, prompting calls for legislative action to address staffing shortages.
Despite these efforts, recruiting and retaining employees remain challenging, prompting calls for legislative action to expand guest worker programs and facilitate asylum seekers' access to employment, thereby alleviating staffing shortages in the hotel industry.
