Washington, DC – The U.S. travel industry continued to add jobs as the New Year got underway.
The latest Department of Labor statistics found most of the new travel industry positions added in January were in the amusements, gambling and recreation sectors.
When last month’s numbers were all crunched by the Labor department, they showed 2,300 jobs were added to the overall travel industry, raising the industry’s overall workforce 1% to 7.6 million workers. The increase continued a growth trend that generated 54,300 jobs last year and has seen steady increases in the ranks for more than two years.
“Revisions to historical 2012 data were positive for both the economy and the travel sector. With the revised 2012 data, the travel sector added a total of 54,300 jobs in 2012,” said David Huether, senior vice president of economics and research at the U.S. Travel Association. “Even with the unemployment rate stuck at nearly 8% since September, the travel sector remains a strong economic generator, adding jobs 31 of the last 37 months.
The larger work forces do not appear to have increased costs for travelers. The Labor department determined wages and the number of hours worked by people in the leisure and hospitality area were relatively static during 2012. Employees averaged 25 hours per week through 2012 and earned $289-$290 a week.
Reach David Huether at (202) 408-8422 or dhuether@ustravel.org
