The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today has recognized National Hotel Employee Day.
AHLA and the National Day Calendar established National Hotel Employee Day in 2022 to honor the nearly two million employees who work in the hotel industry. It is observed annually on Sept. 1.
This year, National Hotel Employee Day comes as hotels across the nation are working to quickly fill nearly 100,000 open hotel jobs, according to Indeed. To attract more talent, hotels are offering current and prospective employees near-historic wages, better benefits and more flexibility than ever before.
America’s nearly 62,500 hotels are a bright spot for the nation’s economy. In 2022 alone, they supported 8.3 million American jobs and paid employees more than $104 billion in wages, salaries and other compensation. Last year, hotel guests spent a total of more than $691 billion on lodging, transportation, food and beverage, retail and other expenses.
To continue growing, however, hotels need to hire more people. More than 80% of hotels are experiencing staffing shortages, and 26% report being severely understaffed, according to a survey of hoteliers conducted by AHLA. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 40% ranking it as their top hiring need.
These staffing challenges coupled with strong summer travel demand are resulting in historic career opportunities for hotel employees. U.S. hotel wages are averaging more than $23 per hour this year, and hotel benefits and flexibility are better than ever.
“Employees are the lifeblood of every hotel, and we created National Hotel Employee Day to help thank America’s nearly two million hotel professionals for their incredible service and dedication,” said Chip Rogers, president/CEO, AHLA. “Today and throughout the year, we are proud to celebrate hotel employees and their important work. From wedding receptions to family reunions and vacations, our workforce helps create some of Americans’ most important memories. And with hotel pay, benefits, flexibility and upward mobility all at near-historic levels, there’s never been a better time to start a hotel career.”
