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Leisure and hospitality employment during recent recessions
August 08, 2014
Despite making up only 8 percent of total nonfarm employment, the food services and drinking places industry (part of the larger leisure and hospitality industry) accounted for almost 1 out of every 6 nonfarm jobs added during the recovery after the recent recession. The overall leisure and hospitality industry accounted for almost 1 out of every 5 nonfarm jobs added during the recovery.
Leisure and hospitality and total nonfarm employment, indexed to 2001 and 2007 leisure and hospitality employment peaks, 2001 and 2007 recessions, seasonally adjusted
Number of months after leisure and hospitality employment peak
2001 recession
2007 recession
Month
Leisure and hospitality
Total nonfarm
Month
Leisure and hospitality
Total nonfarm
Employment level
Index (July 2001 = 100)
Employment level
Index (July 2001 = 100)
Employment level
Index (Dec 2007 = 100)
Employment level
Index (Dec 2007 = 100)
-6
Jan 2001
11,977,000
98.90
132,694,000
100.39
Jun 2007
13,413,000
98.99
138,017,000
99.76
-5
Feb 2001
11,997,000
99.07
132,766,000
100.44
Jul 2007
13,417,000
99.02
137,984,000
99.74
-4
Mar 2001
12,000,000
99.09
132,741,000
100.43
Aug 2007
13,419,000
99.03
137,968,000
99.72
-3
Apr 2001
12,040,000
99.42
132,460,000
100.21
Sep 2007
13,461,000
99.34
138,053,000
99.79
-2
May 2001
12,068,000
99.65
132,422,000
100.18
Oct 2007
13,499,000
99.62
138,135,000
99.84
-1
Jun 2001
12,076,000
99.72
132,293,000
100.09
Nov 2007
13,535,000
99.89
138,253,000
99.93
0 (peak)
Jul 2001
12,110,000
100.00
132,178,000
100.00
Dec 2007
13,550,000
100.00
138,350,000
100.00
1
Aug 2001
12,093,000
99.86
132,020,000
99.88
Jan 2008
13,542,000
99.94
138,365,000
100.01
2
Sep 2001
12,061,000
99.60
131,778,000
99.70
Feb 2008
13,543,000
99.95
138,279,000
99.95
3
Oct 2001
12,015,000
99.22
131,454,000
99.45
Mar 2008
13,531,000
99.86
138,199,000
99.89
4
Nov 2001
11,985,000
98.97
131,160,000
99.23
Apr 2008
13,511,000
99.71
137,985,000
99.74
5
Dec 2001
11,967,000
98.82
130,989,000
99.10
May 2008
13,498,000
99.62
137,803,000
99.60
6
Jan 2002
12,006,000
99.14
130,847,000
98.99
Jun 2008
13,482,000
99.50
137,631,000
99.48
7
Feb 2002
11,962,000
98.78
130,714,000
98.89
Jul 2008
13,463,000
99.36
137,421,000
99.33
8
Mar 2002
11,965,000
98.80
130,695,000
98.88
Aug 2008
13,431,000
99.12
137,162,000
99.14
9
Apr 2002
11,928,000
98.50
130,615,000
98.82
Sep 2008
13,379,000
98.74
136,710,000
98.81
10
May 2002
11,936,000
98.56
130,607,000
98.81
Oct 2008
13,352,000
98.54
136,236,000
98.47
11
Jun 2002
11,905,000
98.31
130,664,000
98.85
Nov 2008
13,300,000
98.15
135,471,000
97.92
12
Jul 2002
11,912,000
98.36
130,579,000
98.79
Dec 2008
13,256,000
97.83
134,774,000
97.42
13
Aug 2002
11,936,000
98.56
130,564,000
98.78
Jan 2009
13,222,000
97.58
133,976,000
96.84
14
Sep 2002
11,991,000
99.02
130,504,000
98.73
Feb 2009
13,193,000
97.37
133,275,000
96.33
15
Oct 2002
12,070,000
99.67
130,629,000
98.83
Mar 2009
13,127,000
96.88
132,449,000
95.73
16
Nov 2002
12,109,000
99.99
130,639,000
98.84
Apr 2009
13,056,000
96.35
131,765,000
95.24
17
Dec 2002
12,112,000
100.02
130,481,000
98.72
May 2009
13,106,000
96.72
131,411,000
94.98
18
Jan 2003
12,173,000
100.52
130,575,000
98.79
Jun 2009
13,076,000
96.50
130,944,000
94.65
19
Feb 2003
12,130,000
100.17
130,422,000
98.67
Jul 2009
13,078,000
96.52
130,617,000
94.41
20
Mar 2003
12,109,000
99.99
130,212,000
98.51
Aug 2009
13,046,000
96.28
130,401,000
94.25
21
Apr 2003
12,085,000
99.79
130,167,000
98.48
Sep 2009
13,054,000
96.34
130,174,000
94.09
22
May 2003
12,092,000
99.85
130,156,000
98.47
Oct 2009
12,995,000
95.90
129,976,000
93.95
23
Jun 2003
12,121,000
100.09
130,166,000
98.48
Nov 2009
12,986,000
95.84
129,970,000
93.94
24
Jul 2003
12,143,000
100.27
130,189,000
98.50
Dec 2009
12,944,000
95.53
129,687,000
93.74
25
Aug 2003
12,177,000
100.55
130,148,000
98.46
Jan 2010
12,931,000
95.43
129,705,000
93.75
26
Sep 2003
12,208,000
100.81
130,250,000
98.54
Feb 2010
12,933,000
95.45
129,655,000
93.72
27
Oct 2003
12,259,000
101.23
130,446,000
98.69
Mar 2010
12,947,000
95.55
129,811,000
93.83
28
Nov 2003
12,284,000
101.44
130,462,000
98.70
Apr 2010
12,981,000
95.80
130,062,000
94.01
29
Dec 2003
12,320,000
101.73
130,586,000
98.80
May 2010
13,007,000
95.99
130,578,000
94.38
30
Jan 2004
12,346,000
101.95
130,747,000
98.92
Jun 2010
13,031,000
96.17
130,456,000
94.29
31
Feb 2004
12,372,000
102.16
130,791,000
98.95
Jul 2010
13,053,000
96.33
130,395,000
94.25
32
Mar 2004
12,425,000
102.60
131,123,000
99.20
Aug 2010
13,087,000
96.58
130,353,000
94.22
33
Apr 2004
12,435,000
102.68
131,372,000
99.39
Sep 2010
13,132,000
96.92
130,296,000
94.18
34
May 2004
12,481,000
103.06
131,679,000
99.62
Oct 2010
13,125,000
96.86
130,537,000
94.35
35
Jun 2004
12,495,000
103.18
131,753,000
99.68
Nov 2010
13,130,000
96.90
130,674,000
94.45
36
Jul 2004
12,495,000
103.18
131,785,000
99.70
Dec 2010
13,159,000
97.11
130,745,000
94.50
37
Aug 2004
12,485,000
103.10
131,917,000
99.80
Jan 2011
13,149,000
97.04
130,815,000
94.55
38
Sep 2004
12,550,000
103.63
132,079,000
99.93
Feb 2011
13,196,000
97.39
130,983,000
94.68
39
Oct 2004
12,582,000
103.90
132,425,000
100.19
Mar 2011
13,247,000
97.76
131,195,000
94.83
40
Nov 2004
12,606,000
104.10
132,490,000
100.24
Apr 2011
13,286,000
98.05
131,517,000
95.06
41
Dec 2004
12,630,000
104.29
132,619,000
100.33
May 2011
13,290,000
98.08
131,619,000
95.13
42
Jan 2005
12,665,000
104.58
132,753,000
100.44
Jun 2011
13,338,000
98.44
131,836,000
95.29
43
Feb 2005
12,690,000
104.79
132,992,000
100.62
Jul 2011
13,372,000
98.69
131,942,000
95.37
44
Mar 2005
12,718,000
105.02
133,126,000
100.72
Aug 2011
13,396,000
98.86
132,064,000
95.46
45
Apr 2005
12,802,000
105.71
133,489,000
100.99
Sep 2011
13,416,000
99.01
132,285,000
95.62
46
May 2005
12,797,000
105.67
133,664,000
101.12
Oct 2011
13,463,000
99.36
132,468,000
95.75
47
Jun 2005
12,837,000
106.00
133,909,000
101.31
Nov 2011
13,514,000
99.73
132,632,000
95.87
48
Jul 2005
12,867,000
106.25
134,282,000
101.59
Dec 2011
13,542,000
99.94
132,828,000
96.01
49
Aug 2005
12,891,000
106.45
134,478,000
101.74
Jan 2012
13,594,000
100.32
133,188,000
96.27
50
Sep 2005
12,862,000
106.21
134,545,000
101.79
Feb 2012
13,638,000
100.65
133,414,000
96.43
51
Oct 2005
12,840,000
106.03
134,629,000
101.85
Mar 2012
13,703,000
101.13
133,657,000
96.61
52
Nov 2005
12,884,000
106.39
134,966,000
102.11
Apr 2012
13,700,000
101.11
133,753,000
96.68
53
Dec 2005
12,905,000
106.56
135,125,000
102.23
May 2012
13,705,000
101.14
133,863,000
96.76
54
Jan 2006
12,945,000
106.90
135,402,000
102.44
Jun 2012
13,711,000
101.19
133,951,000
96.82
55
Feb 2006
12,980,000
107.18
135,717,000
102.68
Jul 2012
13,739,000
101.39
134,111,000
96.94
56
Mar 2006
13,034,000
107.63
135,997,000
102.89
Aug 2012
13,810,000
101.92
134,261,000
97.04
57
Apr 2006
13,074,000
107.96
136,179,000
103.03
Sep 2012
13,868,000
102.35
134,422,000
97.16
58
May 2006
13,052,000
107.78
136,202,000
103.04
Oct 2012
13,889,000
102.50
134,647,000
97.32
59
Jun 2006
13,061,000
107.85
136,279,000
103.10
Nov 2012
13,921,000
102.74
134,850,000
97.47
60
Jul 2006
13,130,000
108.42
136,486,000
103.26
Dec 2012
13,981,000
103.18
135,064,000
97.62
The most recent employment downturn (the recession that began in December 2007) was historic in many ways, but most notably, in the substantial number of jobs lost. In percentage terms, the job loss between the total nonfarm employment peak in January 2008 and the trough in February 2010 was the largest job loss since the 1940s. The employment downturn between July 2001 and June 2002 (part of the recession that began in March 2001) was less severe in comparison with the recent recession.
The leisure and hospitality industry employment recoveries in 2002 and 2010 differ in several ways. For many industries, the 2001 employment downturn was shorter than the 2007 downturn and the accompanying job losses were less severe. It took the leisure and hospitality industry 6 months to recover the jobs it lost between its July 2001 peak and its June 2002 trough, a recovery rate of about 17 percent per month. It took half as long to recover the jobs as it did to lose them.
In contrast, it took the leisure and hospitality industry 24 months to recover the jobs it lost from the December 2007 peak to the January 2010 trough, a recovery rate of about 4 percent per month. It took about the same amount of time to recover the jobs as it did to lose them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Leisure and hospitality employment during recent recessions at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140808.htm (visited April 19, 2024).
United States Department of Labor
