David Huether, senior vice president of research and economics at the U.S. Travel Association, provides analysis on today's Labor Department announcement that the U.S. economy added 142,000 jobs in August while the unemployment rate was little changed at 6.1 percent.
David Huether, senior vice president of research and economics at the U.S. Travel Association, provides analysis on today's Labor Department announcement that the U.S. economy added 142,000 jobs in August while the unemployment rate was little changed at 6.1 percent:
"Consistent with the slowest overall employment gain of the past eight months, travel industry employment edged down slightly by 1,800 jobs last month. Similar to previous years, short-term slowdowns in travel employment at end of the summer are not uncommon and if history is any guide, travel employment should resume positive job growth in the months ahead.
"Overall, the travel industry has added 62,000 jobs so far this year—an average monthly gain of 7,700 jobs. Travel jobs have made up four percent of total jobs added in 2014, and total travel employment now stands at nearly eight million direct jobs.
"By any objective measure, the travel industry is still a leading force in getting Americans back to work. After losing close to half a million jobs in the Great Recession, the travel industry has added 755,000 jobs and has outpaced job creation in the rest of the economy by 39 percent.
"Enacting policies in support of the travel industry such as expanding the Visa Waiver Program and renewing Brand USA, the public-private partnership that markets the United States as a tourism destination, would increase international visitors to the U.S. and create even more quality jobs. Just last year, 69.8 million international visitors to the U.S. directly supported 1.2 million American jobs."
Huether is available for further analysis and comment.
U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry. In 2020, travel generated $1.5 trillion in economic output and supported 11 million jobs, a drastic decline from pre-pandemic figures. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit ustravel.org for information and recovery-related data.
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