WASHINGTON—As practically 80 p.c of resorts expertise staffing shortages, hoteliers are providing potential hires a number of incentives to fill vacancies, in keeping with a brand new survey of hoteliers performed by the American Lodge & Lodging Affiliation (AHLA).
Seventy-one p.c of respondents are rising wages, 64 p.c are providing larger flexibility with hours, and 33 p.c are increasing advantages—however 81 p.c say they’re nonetheless unable to fill open positions.
Seventy-nine p.c of survey respondents point out they’re experiencing a staffing scarcity, 22 p.c severely so. Essentially the most essential staffing want is housekeeping, with 43 p.c rating it as their prime hiring want.
The numbers are an enchancment from September 2022, when 87 p.c of respondents to an AHLA survey stated they have been short-staffed, 36 p.c severely so, with 43 p.c rating housekeeping as their prime hiring want on the time.
Respondents are trying to fill a mean of seven positions per property, down from 10 vacancies per property in September 2022.
These staffing challenges are leading to historic profession alternatives for resort staff. As of December, nationwide common resort wages have been at all-time highs of greater than $23 per hour. For the reason that pandemic, common resort wages have elevated quicker than common wages all through the final financial system.
Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, resort employment is down by greater than 250,000 jobs in comparison with February 2020. Lodges want to fill lots of the jobs misplaced throughout the pandemic, together with practically 100,000 resort jobs presently open throughout the nation.
To assist resorts fill open jobs and lift consciousness of the resort trade’s 200+ profession pathways, the AHLA Basis’s “A Place to Keep” multi-channel promoting marketing campaign is lively in 14 cities, together with Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, and Tampa.
Moreover, AHLA affiliate “Hospitality is Working” just lately launched the Workforce & Immigration Initiative. The hassle is aimed toward urging Congress to deal with workforce shortages with bipartisan options to include extra immigrants into the U.S. financial system.
“Recruiting sufficient staff continues to be the highest problem for a lot of hoteliers, and that is resulting in historic profession alternatives for resort staff,” stated AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “AHLA and the AHLA Basis are working tirelessly to develop the trade’s expertise pipeline and retain staff via progressive occasions like Nationwide Lodge Worker Day and compelling advert campaigns like ‘A Place to Keep,’ however there’s nonetheless extra to be completed. We want Congress to assist handle workforce shortages with bipartisan options to include extra immigrants into the American financial system.”
