Despite Jobs Gains, Leisure & Hospitality Sector are Hamstrung by Lack of International and Business Travel

U.S. Travel Association | May 10, 2021

WASHINGTON — May 10, 2021 — The Leisure & Hospitality industry gained 331,000 jobs in April—outperforming the overall U.S. jobs increase of 266,000, and offsetting jobs losses in other sectors. The sector’s unemployment rate continued to decline, from 15.9% in January to 13.0% in March and just 10.8% April—but remains significantly worse than overall U.S. unemployment (6%). Despite the gains in recent months, 17% of Leisure & Hospitality jobs have been lost (and not yet recovered) since February 2020. Leisure & Hospitality also accounts for 35% of all U.S. jobs still lost since February of last year. “Leisure ...