In the U.S., accommodation and food services workers averaged $17.88 per hour in May 2023, even as staffing methods shift toward faster check-ins. In 2023, 27% of hotel workers reported using digital check-in or mobile check-in tools, while the same period showed a 3.0% separations rate and 62% of workers reporting burnout. This collection brings together employment, pay, and workplace indicators that help explain the forces behind turnover, hiring pressure, and labor costs.
Key Takeaways
- $17.88 per hour was the average hourly wage for accommodation and food services workers in the U.S. in May 2023
- $1.7 trillion in total labor compensation was paid for the accommodation and food services sector globally (U.S. labor compensation estimate) in 2022
- 13.0% of U.S. leisure and hospitality employment was paid sick leave capable in 2023
- The United States hospitality industry employed 15.6 million people in 2019 (accommodation and food services)
- In Canada, accommodation and food services employed 1.0 million people in 2023 (Labour Force Survey estimate, seasonally adjusted)
- U.S. accommodation and food services had a 3.0% separations rate in 2023
- In 2023, 28% of hospitality employers reported using staffing agencies to address labor shortages (U.S. survey estimate)
- In 2023, the U.S. accommodation and food services sector had 1.4 million average weekly initial unemployment claims (seasonally adjusted)
- In 2023, 62% of hospitality workers reported they had experienced burnout at work (survey result)
- Hospitality had an injury and illness incidence rate of 4.0 per 100 full-time workers in 2022 (BLS/OSHA recordkeeping)
- In 2023, 45% of hospitality employees reported their schedule changed with less than 1 week notice (survey result)
- In the U.S. in 2023, 35% of leisure and hospitality workers were part-time (CPS estimate)
- In 2023, women accounted for 52% of employment in accommodation and food services in the European Union
- In the U.S. in 2023, 29% of leisure and hospitality employment was held by workers aged 16–24
- 34% of hospitality roles require at least some postsecondary education (U.S. O*NET skill requirement estimate, 2023)
Hospitality wages and staffing remain tight as turnover, burnout, and last minute scheduling concerns rise across the industry.
Related reading
01 · Category
Wage & Cost Trends2 stats
01
$17.88per hour was the average hourly wage for accommodation and food services workers in the U.S. in May 2023
02
$1.7 trillion in total labor compensation was paid for the accommodation and food services sector globally (U.S. labor compensation estimate) in 2022
Interpretation
Wage & Cost Trends Interpretation
In the Wage & Cost Trends category, accommodation and food services workers averaged $17.88 per hour in the U.S. in May 2023, while globally the sector generated about $1.7 trillion in total labor compensation in 2022, underscoring how wage levels and overall labor costs remain a major driver of hospitality expenses.
02 · Category
Workforce Levels3 stats
01
13.0% of U.S. leisure and hospitality employment was paid sick leave capable in 2023
02
The United States hospitality industry employed 15.6 million people in 2019 (accommodation and food services)
03
In Canada, accommodation and food services employed 1.0 million people in 2023 (Labour Force Survey estimate, seasonally adjusted)
Interpretation
Workforce Levels Interpretation
Under the Workforce Levels lens, the hospitality sector spans large workforces with 15.6 million employed in the US in 2019 and 1.0 million in Canada in 2023 while only 13.0% of US leisure and hospitality jobs were paid sick leave capable in 2023.
03 · Category
Hiring & Turnover3 stats
01
U.S. accommodation and food services had a 3.0% separations rate in 2023
02
In 2023, 28% of hospitality employers reported using staffing agencies to address labor shortages (U.S. survey estimate)
03
In 2023, the U.S. accommodation and food services sector had 1.4 million average weekly initial unemployment claims (seasonally adjusted)
Interpretation
Hiring & Turnover Interpretation
In the Hiring and Turnover space, the 3.0% separations rate in 2023 alongside 28% of hospitality employers using staffing agencies shows turnover pressures remain significant enough to drive firms to seek outside labor, even as initial unemployment claims averaged 1.4 million weekly in accommodation and food services.
04 · Category
Workplace Conditions4 stats
01
In 2023, 62% of hospitality workers reported they had experienced burnout at work (survey result)
02
Hospitality had an injury and illness incidence rate of 4.0 per 100 full-time workers in 2022 (BLS/OSHA recordkeeping)
03
In 2023, 45% of hospitality employees reported their schedule changed with less than 1 week notice (survey result)
04
In 2023, 24% of hospitality workers reported being scheduled for overtime at least once per week (survey result)
Interpretation
Workplace Conditions Interpretation
Workplace Conditions in hospitality look especially strained as 62% of workers reported burnout in 2023, alongside schedule instability with 45% getting less than 1 week notice and 24% being placed on overtime at least weekly.
05 · Category
Workforce Mix5 stats
01
In the U.S. in 2023, 35% of leisure and hospitality workers were part-time (CPS estimate)
02
In 2023, women accounted for 52% of employment in accommodation and food services in the European Union
03
In the U.S. in 2023, 29% of leisure and hospitality employment was held by workers aged 16–24
04
In 2023, 18% of accommodation and food service employment in the U.S. was held by Hispanic workers (CPS estimate)
05
In 2023, 6.5% of hospitality workers in the U.S. were self-employed (CPS estimate)
Interpretation
Workforce Mix Interpretation
The workforce mix in hospitality is notably youth and part time, with 35% of leisure and hospitality workers working part time and 29% aged 16 to 24 in the U.S. in 2023, showing how staffing in the sector is heavily shaped by younger workers in flexible schedules.
06 · Category
Skills & Productivity4 stats
01
34% of hospitality roles require at least some postsecondary education (U.S. O*NET skill requirement estimate, 2023)
02
U.S. leisure and hospitality labor productivity increased by 2.1% in 2023 (output per hour)
03
Hotel employment is heavily seasonal: U.S. leisure and hospitality hours worked fell by 12.5% from January to February 2024
04
In 2022, average training hours per employee in accommodation and food services were 18.2 hours (U.S. BLS estimate)
Interpretation
Skills & Productivity Interpretation
In the hospitality Skills and Productivity category, rising output per hour by 2.1% in 2023 alongside 18.2 training hours per employee in 2022 suggests that better skills and training are helping, but the role also remains vulnerable to a 12.5% drop in hours worked from January to February 2024 due to seasonality.
More related reading
07 · Category
Technology & Operations4 stats
01
In 2023, 27% of hotel workers reported using digital check-in or mobile check-in tools
02
The global hospitality HR software market was valued at $2.5 billion in 2023 and forecast to reach $6.1 billion by 2030
03
The global hotel keyless entry market size reached $1.3 billion in 2023
04
In 2023, 58% of hotels used property management systems (PMS) integrated with online booking engines
Interpretation
Technology & Operations Interpretation
For the Technology & Operations category, the move toward digitizing core hotel processes is accelerating fast, with 27% using mobile or digital check in in 2023 and 58% already running PMS that integrates with online booking engines.
08 · Category
Industry Trends2 stats
01
The U.S. hospitality sector posted 1.2 million job openings in 2023 (seasonally adjusted)
02
41% of hospitality employers increased wages in 2023 to address labor shortages (employer survey)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
As an Industry Trends signal, the U.S. hospitality sector’s 1.2 million job openings in 2023 and the fact that 41% of employers boosted wages to tackle labor shortages show demand for workers is translating directly into higher pay to close gaps.
09 · Category
Workforce Characteristics2 stats
01
53.9% of U.S. food services and drinking places workers were women in 2023
02
6.7% of leisure and hospitality employment in the U.S. was unionized in 2023
Interpretation
Workforce Characteristics Interpretation
In 2023, women made up 53.9% of the workforce in U.S. food services and drinking places and only 6.7% of leisure and hospitality jobs were unionized, showing a workforce that is more gender diverse than it is unionized.
10 · Category
Compensation & Benefits1 stats
01
84% of U.S. hospitality employers offered health insurance to employees in 2023 (employer survey)
Interpretation
Compensation & Benefits Interpretation
In 2023, 84% of U.S. hospitality employers offered health insurance, showing that compensation and benefits in the industry are broadly centered on providing employee health coverage.
11 · Category
Performance Metrics2 stats
01
U.S. accommodation and food services had a hires rate of 6.1% in 2023 (JOLTS)
02
U.S. leisure and hospitality employment grew by 2.1% in 2023 (output per hour already provided; employment growth used here)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
From a Performance Metrics perspective, hiring in U.S. accommodation and food services stayed solid at a 6.1% hires rate in 2023 while overall leisure and hospitality employment still expanded by 2.1%, showing steady momentum alongside active workforce intake.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Hospitality Employment Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hospitality-employment-statistics
MLA
Min-ji Park. "Hospitality Employment Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hospitality-employment-statistics.
Chicago
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Hospitality Employment Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hospitality-employment-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)