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The demand for hospitality workers has improved in the last few years, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Lodging is doing well as people begin to take long weekends or full-fledged vacations, says jobs expert John Challenger, CEO of Chicago-based outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Challenger also notes that gambling destinations are seeing year-round activity return.
Ginger Speir, senior vice president of development and talent acquisitions for Parkway Hospitality Management, a Baltimore-based hospitality-management firm, says she is also seeing positive trends in all areas of the industry. “We anticipate a slow but steady increase in overall occupancy and group bookings, and companies are beginning to book off-site meetings that had been abandoned over the past couple of years.”
No matter the year, increased business and leisure activity drive demand across the hospitality job market. “Typically the largest department in a hotel – the housekeeping staff – will see increases first,” says Rick Holliday, CEO of Atlanta-based Hospitality Staffing Solutions. In parallel, opportunities for wedding planners, meeting planners, event planners and technical specialists also improve.
And while Americans aren’t traveling abroad like they used to, hotels in Europe and Asia are hiring thanks to local demand. “The large hotel companies are really focusing on expansion plans – especially to Asia – and they are seeking individuals who can work in these emerging markets,” says Jonathan Galaviz, chief economist for Galaviz & Company, a Las Vegas-based travel and leisure consulting firm.
However, the number of hospitality jobs at publicly owned facilities continues to decline. “The hardest times are for people looking for anything that relies on public funding – local, state and national parks and historic sites,” Challenger explains. “They’re (still) facing real budget issues that are leading to cutbacks.”
In some states like California, entire parks have been closed, including the lodges and cabins within their boundaries. So if your dream is a hospitality job at a guest ranch in the Grand Canyon or a rustic lodge at Yosemite, expect fewer openings and very high competition.
“This is a difficult time to find employment no matter what industry you are in,” says Tristyn Wright, vice president of operations with Lansing Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority in Lansing, Michigan. “The hospitality industry is a very demanding, high-energy industry and has a high rate of employee turnover – more so [in front-line customer service/guest services jobs], so there is usually an opportunity for front-line employment.”
On the management level, proven performers in their hospitality careers will always be in demand.
“If you are really good at your particular position and are ambitious and eager to get ahead, you will,” Wright says. “Once talent is recognized, other facilities will try and capture it. You may be a very skilled VP in your current facility entertaining offers to be a CEO in similar-size market facilities across the country.”
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