INtouch
PO Box 7577, Columbia, SC 29202
APRIL 2023
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT 168
Hospitality Day at the state house Wednesday, April 19
* Members may receive up to 4 Tickets *
To Register for this Event, Scan the Qr Code
Hoteliers Offering Incentives to Fill Staff Vacancies As nearly 80 percent of hotels are experiencing staffing shortages, hoteliers are offering potential hires a host of incentives to fill vacancies, according to a new survey of hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA). Seventy-one percent of respondents are increasing wages, 64 percent are offering greater flexibility with hours, and 33 percent are expanding benefits—but 81 percent say they are still unable to fill open positions.
Thank you To our generous hospitality day sponsors! Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents indicate they are experiencing a staffing shortage, 22 percent severely so. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 43 percent ranking it as their top hiring need. The numbers are an improvement from September 2022, when 87 percent of respondents to an AHLA survey said they were short-staffed, 36 percent severely so, with 43 percent ranking housekeeping as their top hiring need at the time. Respondents are attempting to fill an average of seven positions per property, down from 10 vacancies per property in September 2022.
IMIC • S.C. Association of Tourism Regions • S.C. Travel & Tourism Coalition AllTrack Performing Rights • Bauknight, Pietras & Stormer, PA • Bear Robotics • Breakthru Beverage South Carolina • Colite Collins & Lacy, PC • Cool Care Heating, Air, Plumbing & Refrigeration • Daily Pay • Dairy Queen • Dayton House Resort Dominion Energy • Duke Energy • Easy Ice • Edventure Children's Museum • Gallagher Insurance Risk Management • General Mills
These staffing challenges are resulting in historic career opportunities for hotel employees. As of December, national average hotel wages were at all-time highs of more than $23 per hour. Since the pandemic, average hotel wages have increased faster than average wages throughout the general economy. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, hotel employment is down by more than 250,000 jobs compared to February 2020. Hotels are looking to fill many of the jobs lost during the pandemic, including nearly 100,000 hotel jobs currently open across the nation. Additionally, AHLA affiliate “Hospitality is Working” recently launched the Workforce & Immigration Initiative. The effort is aimed at urging Congress to address workforce shortages with bipartisan solutions to incorporate more immigrants into the U.S. economy. “Recruiting enough workers continues to be the top challenge for many hoteliers, and this is leading to historic career opportunities for hotel employees,” said AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers. “AHLA and the AHLA Foundation are working tirelessly to grow the industry’s talent pipeline and retain workers through innovative events like National Hotel Employee Day and compelling ad campaigns like ‘A Place to Stay,’ but there is still more to be done. We need Congress to help address workforce shortages with bipartisan solutions to incorporate more immigrants into the American economy.” To read the full article, visit lodgingmagazine.com
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Global BioProtect • Grace Outdoor Advertising • Greenville Convention Center • IMIC • JonesCraft Restaurant & Hospitality Recruiters Lucas Properties • Lucas Systems Inc. • Memic • Murphy & Grantland PA • Myrtle Beach Area Hospitality Association • NFP Performance Foodservice • Pinnacle Partnership • Raines Co. • Republic Services • Rytech of the Upstate • T&S Brass The Palmetto Shop • Tito's Handmade Vodka • VisitGreenvilleSC
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