The US hotel industry continues to grapple with staffing shortages as it prepares for the summer rush. Despite adding 700 jobs in May, bringing the total hotel employment to about 1.92 million, the industry is still short of 191,500 workers compared to pre-pandemic levels. The nationwide workforce shortage has made it challenging for hotels to fill open positions, even with increased wages and benefits on offer. As a result, tens of thousands of hotel jobs remain unfilled, hindering the industry's recovery [cbbde0e5].
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) is calling for measures to address the labor shortage. They are urging the Department of Homeland Security to make available 65,000 additional H-2B visas to attract more workers. The AH&LA also supports several bills, including the Closing the Workforce Gap Act, the H-2 Improvements to Relieve Employers (HIRE) Act, and the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act. These bills aim to expand the workforce by making it easier for qualified asylum seekers to work in the US and provide relief to employers facing labor shortages [cbbde0e5].
The shortage of staff in the hotel industry is a significant challenge that is impacting the industry's recovery from the pandemic. According to the National Hotel & Lodging Association, 76% of hotels across the US are currently understaffed. This shortage has resulted in a lack of amenities, such as clean rooms and hotel dining. Some hotels have resorted to cleaning rooms every other day or just a couple of times a week due to the staffing shortage. Housekeepers are particularly in high demand, and the lack of staff has become a barrier to providing quality services [cbbde0e5].
To cope with the summer rush, some hotels are turning to advanced technology like robots. However, the cost of implementing robots is a barrier for many hotels, preventing them from fully addressing the staffing shortage. The National Hotel & Lodging Association is working on legislation to expand H-2B visas for temporary migrant workers, which could help alleviate the staffing issue. Despite raising wages since the pandemic, hiring enough staff remains a significant challenge for the hotel industry [cbbde0e5].
In May, U.S. extended-stay hotels saw a 3.2 percent increase in room supply, marking the 32nd consecutive month with supply growth at 4 percent or less. The annual supply increase has been under 2 percent for two years. The economy extended-stay segment experienced a significant increase of 12.8 percent in supply, primarily due to conversions. New construction in the economy segment accounted for only about 3 percent of rooms opened compared to a year ago. Extended-stay hotels also reported a 5.3 percent increase in revenue in May, surpassing the 4.9 percent increase reported for the overall hotel industry. Total extended-stay demand rose by 4.3 percent in May, with positive demand changes in 17 of the last 18 months. However, extended-stay hotel occupancy growth in May was lower than the gain reported for the overall hotel industry. Extended-stay hotel average daily rate (ADR) increased in May, except for the economy segment. Despite the challenges faced in the first quarter, extended-stay hotels experienced positive growth in room revenue, demand, ADR, and revenue per available room (RevPAR) [74eabc85] [cbbde0e5].
To address the ongoing staffing shortages, Travelodge, a major hotel chain in the UK, is launching a recruitment drive to fill over 300 jobs across its business. The positions include hotel managers, bar staff, cleaners, receptionists, as well as head office roles such as sales and customer services. Travelodge operates over 600 hotels in the UK, Ireland, and Spain, employing around 13,000 people. The company is seeking enthusiastic individuals with a passion for delivering excellent customer service [2e0d1c7c].