AHLA Study Corroborates Continued Hotel Staffing Shortages

A member unveiled by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) corroborates a major travel industry issue – serious staffing shortages.

“Eighty-seven percent of survey respondents indicated they are experiencing a staffing shortage, 36 percent severely so,” the September survey found.

“The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 43 percent ranking it as their biggest challenge.”

The numbers, however, are an improvement over those reported in a member survey in May, which found that 97 percent of respondents were experiencing staffing shortages, with “49 percent severely so,” and 58 percent “ranking housekeeping as their biggest challenge.”

To help remedy the issue, hotels are offering job candidates a variety of incentives, with 81 percent of respondents increasing wages, 64 percent providing more flexible working hours and 35 percent increasing benefits.

To work toward solving staffing shortages, the AHLA Foundation is continuing with its “A Place to Stay” multi-channel advertising campaign in 14 cities, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, and Tampa.

“Today’s tight labor market is creating unprecedented career opportunities for current and prospective hotel employees, and AHLA and the AHLA Foundation are working tirelessly to spread the word,” said AHLA President and CEO Chip Rogers.

“With hotel wages, benefits, flexibility and upward mobility at historic levels, there has never been a better time to work at a hotel than the present.”

The survey, which was conducted from September 12-19, 2022, polled 200 hoteliers.