Travel Employment Growth Continues in 2020

Travel employment continued growing in the first month of the year, increasing by 9,000 jobs in January. Travel employment gains occurred in the amusement/gambling/recreation and food services/drinking places industries.

According to revised year-end data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, travel employment rose by 126,900 in 2019 and accounted for 6% of the year’s 2.1 million nonfarm payroll job increases. Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 225,000 in January, and the unemployment rate was nearly unchanged at 3.6%.

This news follows President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, in which the president touted the strength of the American workforce, including job creation, expansion of U.S. industries and unemployment lows. The U.S. travel industry supports 15.7 million American jobs, and we’re proud to have contributed to the country’s economic growth in 2019.