Leisure and Hospitality

On this page

• About the Leisure and Hospitality supersector
• BLS Data
  • Workforce Statistics
  • Earnings and Hours
  • Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses
  • Workplace Trends
  • Other BLS Resources

The leisure and hospitality supersector is part of the service-providing industries supersector group.

The leisure and hospitality supersector consists of these sectors:

• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation: NAICS 71
• Accommodation and Food Services: NAICS 72

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in leisure and hospitality. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, job openings and labor turnover, union membership and representation, gross job gains and losses, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment, Unemployment, and Openings, Hires, and Separations

Data series	Back data	Oct. 2007	Nov. 2007	Dec. 2007	Jan. 2008
Employment (in thousands)
Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)		13,604	13,628	(P) 13,650	(P) 13,669
Employment, nonsupervisory workers (seasonally adjusted)		12,022	12,033	(P) 12,048	(P) 12,055
Unemployment
Unemployment rate		7.5%	8.1%	7.9%	9.4%
Job openings, hires, and separations (in thousands)
Job openings		616	527	(P) 494
Hires		874	737	(P) 669
Separations		933	781	(P) 684
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		3.1%	3.1%	3.1%	2.8%
Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		3.6%	3.5%	3.5%	3.2%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Dynamic Changes in Employment

Data series	Back data	3rd quarter 2006	4th quarter 2006	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007
Dynamic changes in employment (in thousands)
Gross job gains		1,180	1,223	1,165	1,219
Gross job losses		1,184	1,105	1,096	1,196

(Source: Business Employment Dynamics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates in leisure and hospitality, see the Employment and projected employment by major industry sector table.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours for production or nonsupervisory employees, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. This section also contains information on the average cost of benefits paid by employers, as well as recent rates of change in wages and total compensation.

Earnings and Hours of Production Workers

Data series	Back data	Oct. 2007	Nov. 2007	Dec. 2007	Jan. 2008
Average hourly earnings		$10.60	$10.61	(P) $10.66	(P) $10.63
Average weekly hours		25.4	25.3	(P) 25.2	(P) 25.2
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	Median weekly earnings
		2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Full-time workers		$407	$409	$417	$440
Members of unions		$518	$513	$538	$580
Represented by unions		$508	$510	$533	$572
Nonunion		$402	$405	$412	$431

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Employer Compensation Costs

Data series	Back data	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007
12-month percent change
Total compensation		4.7%	4.6%	5.0%	4.2%
Wages and salaries		5.1%	5.0%	5.7%	4.9%

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

Data series	Back data	3rd quarter 2007
		Compensation component ($per hour worked)	Percent of total compensation
Compensation costs
Total compensation		11.59	100.0
Wages and salaries		9.08	78.4
Total benefits		2.51	21.6
Insurance		0.62	5.3
Retirement		0.11	1.0

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in leisure and hospitality. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

This section presents data on the number of establishments and the number of establishments experiencing job gains or job losses in leisure and hospitality.

Establishments

Data series	Back data	3rd quarter 2006	4th quarter 2006	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007
Number of establishments
Private industry		711,551	716,766	(P) 716,399	(P) 721,635
Local government		4,248	4,244	(P) 4,283	(P) 4,299
State government		850	850	(P) 875	(P) 881
Federal government		1,190	1,205	(P) 1,206	(P) 1,214
Establishments with changes in employment (in thousands)
With job gains (seasonally adjusted)		216	227	222	219
With job losses (seasonally adjusted)		237	227	237	242
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source U.S. Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics: Business Employment Dynamics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)