Houston hotels strugging to fill 1,300 open jobs amid summer travel boom

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HOUSTON - With the summer travel season in full swing, hotels are ramping up their efforts to attract and hire qualified candidates to meet the increasing demand.

According to data from Indeed.com, Houston hotels are grappling with more than 1,300 open positions. All this information is shared by American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which in its recent national survey, found hotel employers are offering a range of incentives to entice potential hires.

In the survey, 75% reported increasing wages, 64% are providing greater flexibility with working hours, and 36% have expanded their benefits packages. However, despite these efforts, a staggering 87% of hoteliers admitted that they are still struggling to fill these open positions.

Filling these vacancies is crucial for the hotels, as well as Houston and Texas economy, the AHLA adds. In 2022, for example, hotel guests spent a staggering $47 billion in various destinations across the state, contributing nearly $3.8 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue.

The survey also revealed that 82% of respondents are currently experiencing a staffing shortage, with 26% characterizing it as severe, significantly impacting the hotels' ability to operate smoothly. The most pressing need is in the housekeeping department, with 40% of respondents ranking it as their top priority for hiring.

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Still, hotels are seeking employees for a wide range of roles, spanning from entry-level positions to management.

"The need for workers throughout the lodging industry continues to drive historic career opportunities for hotel employees, who are enjoying record wages and better benefits and flexibility than ever before," AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers said in a statement. "That’s why AHLA and the AHLA Foundation remain focused on growing the industry’s talent pipeline through workforce recruitment and retention initiatives like the Foundation’s Empowering Youth and Registered Apprenticeship programs. But there is still more to be done. We need Congress to help address workforce shortages with bipartisan solutions, including those that create opportunities for more immigrants to enter the American economy."

Learn more and read the full survey from AHLA by visiting their website.