Hotels offering higher wages still short-staffed
Providing higher pay, in part, enhanced hotel employee numbers compared to last spring, according to AHLA, though challenges persist.
Despite offering increased wages and other benefits like flexible work hours to attract talent over the past year, some 71% of hotels reported in the recent survey that they had job openings they were unable to fill, with the largest percentage of shortages (38%) being in housekeeping. This was down from June, though, when 79% of hotels reported they were unable to fill open positions.
Hotel owners continue to face labor shortages as hotel workers say their pay is not satisfactory to keep up with the rising cost of living. In 2024 alone, thousands of hotel workers nationwide went on strike to win higher pay, among other benefits.
At The Lodging Conference in October, Asian American Hotel Owners Association Chairman Miraj Patel said that other industries are paying much higher wages, leading hospitality workers to search for opportunities elsewhere.
While offering increased wages did help to improve hotel staffing levels somewhat over the past year, per AHLA, the rising cost of labor is a leading concern among owners, hospitality professionals at The Lodging Conference shared.