Report: 70 percent of hotel employees laid off or furloughed amid COVID-19 crisis

A new report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) indicates that 70 percent of hotel employees have been laid off or furloughed, as eight out of 10 hotel rooms across the U.S. remain empty during the widespread coronavirus lockdown.

Due to the dramatic downturn in travel, hotels that remain open are operating with minimal staffing. On average, full-service hotels are using 14 employees, down from 50 before the crisis, the report found. Resort hotels, which often operate seasonally based on the area’s peak tourism months, averaged about 90 employees per location as recently as March 13; they are down to an average of five employees per resort today.

The AHLA report projected a 50 percent revenue decline for the hotel industry from the full year. It also said $2.4 billion in weekly wages have been lost due to the crisis.

“With the impact to the travel industry nine times worse than September 11, the human toll of this public health crisis has been absolutely devastating for the hotel industry. For the hotel industry our priority is rehiring and retaining our hardworking employees who power our vibrant industry,” Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA, said in a statement. “Hotels were one of the first industries affected by the pandemic and will be one of the last to recover.”

 You can check out the full report at: https://www.ahla.com/sites/default/files/FACT%20SHEET_COVID19%20Impact%20on%20Hotel%20Industry_4.22.20.pdf