The hospitality and restaurant sectors have been experiencing an unprecedented labour shortage for several years. This crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has turned the lives of millions of people upside down and, above all, forced a large number of establishments that cater to the public to close their doors for many months. However, the roots of this problem are much deeper and reflect a desire on the part of modern employees to have a better work-life balance.
Labour shortage, an alarming fact
According to Thierry Marx, the new president of the UMIH, "there is a shortage of 200,000 jobs" in the hotel and restaurant industry in France. A consequent shortage of manpower has repercussions on restaurant opening hours, forcing properties to close earlier or to close more days. A shortage of staff also penalises hotel employees, forcing them to review their schedules or even to train more versatile employees.
This is also a problem in the United States: according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the hotel industry was down by almost 400,000 jobs in August 2022 compared to February 2020. As a result, US hoteliers are looking to fill many of the jobs lost during the pandemic - over 115,000 jobs.
In addition, according to a new survey conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) 87% of respondents indicated that they are facing a staffing shortage, with 36% of respondents indicating a severe shortage. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, which 43% of respondents identified as their biggest challenge.
This is a universal problem that spares almost no country, such as the UK where there are reportedly over 180,000 vacancies in the hospitality industry. Sandra Kelly, UKHospitality's Director of Skills, says: "The sector has faced staffing challenges for decades, with perceptions and realities of the sector not helping to position hospitality as a destination of choice for people of all ages to work or plan a career. The situation has been exacerbated by Covid, Brexit, demographics and educational pathways that are not robust or designed to build a future pipeline of talent for our industry at this time."
A labour shortage that is therefore forcing industry professionals to hire less qualified people, not from industry specific training. In any case...
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