The leisure and hospitality sector is among the crucial industries for the US economy that consists of arts, entertainment, and recreation industries; food services and drinking places industries; hotels and other accommodations industries. Throughout the beginning of time, humans have engaged in leisure activities. From antiquity, musical ensembles, theatre, and athletics have been a component of culture. As the nation’s free time and personal earnings have increased, so has the arts, sports, and recreation business. There are around 125,500 establishments in this category, varying from museums and art galleries to fitness facilities. This business encompasses almost all activities that occupy a person’s free time, barring the watching of animated pictures and video recordings.
This industry’s varied array of activities may be divided into three major categories: live shows or events; scientific, artistic, or educational displays; and relaxation or leisure activities. People’s time and money are competed for by leisure activities. Certain arts, music, and leisure activities have been eliminated as a consequence of recent state and municipal budget constraints. When the funding situation improves, many activities will resume, especially those that were formerly in great demand. Furthermore, due to the different interests of people, the number of sports-related engagements has been growing in popularity, leading to the formation of new leagues and fan possibilities.
The subsector of food services and drinking establishments prepares customer-ordered meals, snacks, and drinks for on-premises and off-premises ingestion. There is a variety of businesses in these industries. Others provide different mixes of seats, waiter/waitress service, and other facilities such as minimal entertainment. The subsector’s industries are categorized according to the kind and degree of services offered. The industry categories include full-service restaurants, limited-service eateries, specialty food companies, such as food service providers, catering and mobile food facilities, and drinking establishments. Food businesses and drinking establishments may be the most prevalent and well-known businesses in the world. This category encompasses all sorts of restaurants, from quick food joints to fine dining venues. In addition, they incorporate café, caterers, restaurants, and fast food contractors that provide food services in institutions such as colleges, sports stadiums, and hospitals.
For visitors, vacationers, and others, the accommodation subsector provides lodging or short-term lodgings. There is a variety of businesses in these industries. Some provide solely housing, while others also provide food, laundry facilities, and recreational amenities. Even though the supply of additional services produces higher income, lodging businesses are categorized in this subsector. Different establishments provide a variety of additional services. Hotels and other lodgings are as diverse as the many business and leisure tourists they serve. There are five-star hotels, youth hostels, and recreational vehicle parks within the scope of this business. Others offer longer visits by offering meal service, leisure activities, and conference facilities in addition to a place to sleep. Among crucial actors within the industry, Hyatt, Hilton, McDonald’s, KFC, and Starbucks are to be mentioned.
The unemployment rate refers to the proportion of the working population without a job. It is a trailing sign, meaning that it often increases or drops in the wake of shifting economic circumstances rather than forecasting them (Anderson & Perez, 2022). When the economy is in bad health and jobs are few, the unemployment rate may be anticipated to climb. As the economy expands at a good pace and employment is generally numerous, it may be anticipated to decline. The US unemployment rate is issued on the first Friday of each month for the prior month. Current and previous versions of the report are accessible on the Bureau of Labor Statistics webpage. Users are able to build and download tables displaying any of the aforementioned labor market metrics for a particular period range.
Unemployment is among the most closely-watched metrics for economic stability, along with GDP and inflation. This indicator has an inverse association with the financial markets and inflation, two important economic indicators. For leisure and hospitality businesses, low unemployment rates tend to be related to a higher average salary, owing to the lower labor supply. In certain cases, this may lead to inflation when businesses raise pricing to account for higher labor expenses. Reduced unemployment also seems to be followed by increasing stock values since the population has more discretionary money.
Graph 1 shows the fluctuations of the unemployment rate within the scope of the explored industry over the period of January 2000 to January 2023. It seems apparent that the highest unemployment rate for the industry was in April 2020 – 39.3% – due to the outbreak of Covid-19. The leisure and hospitality sector was among the spheres that were affected by the pandemic to the greatest extent. However, it seems that the industry has recovered, given the unemployment rate of 6% as of January 2023.
From 2021 through 2031, the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that the US economy will generate 8.3 million jobs (2022). Of these, 1,9 million employees, or 23,1 percent of all predicted new positions, are anticipated to be in the leisure and hospitality sector. This is substantial expected growth for a sector that accounted for 8.9% of overall employment in 2021. The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for this sector’s expected growth, which is the quickest of any industry at 1,3 percent each year.
References
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022). Leisure and hospitality projected to mostly recover pandemic-driven employment losses. Web.
FRED. (2023). Unemployment rate – Leisure and hospitality, private wage and salary workers. Web.
Anderson, S., & Perez, Y. (2022). What is the unemployment rate? Rates by state. Investopedia. Web.