A recent analysis by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has estimated that 412,000 Travel and Tourism jobs in the US will remain unfilled this year, jeopardizing the sector’s recovery.
WTTC data also showed that during the first half of 2021, one in 18 jobs remained vacant, highlighting a talent crisis that has plagued the sector since the start of 2021, VisaGuide.World reports.
During the time period January-June 2022, about 321,000 Travel and Tourism positions remained unfilled, which means a shortage of 5.44 percent. At the same time, labour shortages are expected to continue in the third quarter, peaking at 412,000 job vacancies in the sector, or a seven percent shortage.
Employment in this sector of the US in 2020 fell to the lowest point, which is by 35.9 percent. However, as global Travel and Tourism began to recover in 2021, the US saw a 12.4 percent increase in the number of jobs directly supported by the sector, adding 480,000 jobs back into the market.
Although the US is expected to grow in 2021, tourist transportation, lodging, and recreation are experiencing the most serious impact of labor shortages this year.
In addition, employers in the accommodation industry, in particular, may struggle to find suitable candidates for nearly one in seven hotels and resort job postings.
In this regard, WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson said that despite the US heading for a full solid recovery in Travel and Tourism, the lack of qualified and available talent remains a major concern for the sector.
“This is especially true given the sudden spike in international visitors following the removal of COVID tests for inbound travelers,” she pointed out.WTTC predicts that by the end of this year and in 2023, government officials and the public sector will work together to increase the availability of qualified workers by adapting career opportunities in the sector to better attract top talent, then the outlook will be positive.
“There is huge potential to increase the number of available workers in the US by fostering greater labor mobility within the US and across its borders. Stringent visa allocations are affecting many industries, which ultimately impacts the wealth and growth prospects for the US. We urge officials to consider measures that make visas and work permits more easily accessible,” Simpson noted.Moreover, the WTTC report also revealed that US Census Bureau data shows that between 2016 and 2020, international migration to the US fell from about 1.05 million people to just 477,000.