Nearly two-thirds of hoteliers surveyed in December and
January by the American Hotel & Lodging Association reported their
properties are short-staffed, a figure lower than recorded in a pair of similar
surveys in 2024.
About 9 percent of the 282 hoteliers surveyed by AHLA and HR
software firm Hireology from Dec. 6, 2024, to Jan. 3, 2025, described their
properties as "severely understaffed."
The 65 percent of respondents who indicated staffing
shortages is lower than the figure reported in January
2024 and May
2024 AHLA surveys, a trend the association attributed to robust hiring
efforts, including the offering of incentives.
"Incentives such as higher pay, flexible working hours and
providing hotel discounts, along with participating in job fairs and
advertising, lowered the percentage of hotels reporting staffing
shortages," AHLA said in a statement.
About 47 percent of hotel respondents indicated they've
offered higher wages to fill roles.
The most frequently cited position within hotels as
short-staffed was housekeeping, with 38 percent of respondents noting openings,
followed by front desk roles (26 percent).
"While American hotels have largely recovered from the
pandemic, hotel employment is still nearly 10 percent below pre-pandemic
staffing levels," AHLA president and CEO Rosanna Maietta said in a
statement. 'The hospitality sector is committed to attracting and retaining
talent, investing in workforce development, and creating good jobs for millions
of Americans, and we are working hard in Washington to ensure we have a policy
environment that supports these efforts."