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Leisure and hospitality employment down 2.1 percent from February 2020 level
August 10, 2023
Employment in leisure and hospitality fell 48.6 percent from February 2020 to April 2020, as restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, and hotels shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry began recovering jobs in May 2020, but leisure and hospitality employment in July 2023 was still 2.1 percent below its February 2020 level. Within leisure and hospitality, only performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries had returned to its pre-pandemic employment level by 2023.
Indexes of employment in leisure and hospitality industries, January 2020–July 2023
Month
Leisure and hospitality
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries
Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions
Amusement, gambling, and recreation industries
Accommodation
Food services and drinking places
Jan 2020
99.5
99.1
100.6
99.3
100.0
99.4
Feb 2020
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Mar 2020
95.6
94.8
99.2
97.6
97.3
95.0
Apr 2020
51.4
51.0
72.6
44.4
56.4
51.3
May 2020
58.7
46.7
71.0
45.4
49.9
62.5
Jun 2020
69.4
48.7
70.9
57.5
58.5
73.8
Jul 2020
72.4
48.8
69.9
63.5
59.1
77.0
Aug 2020
74.0
50.9
71.9
64.5
59.8
78.9
Sep 2020
76.9
51.3
74.0
72.5
63.9
80.9
Oct 2020
78.3
57.5
75.6
73.5
64.4
82.3
Nov 2020
78.4
60.2
75.9
75.9
64.6
82.0
Dec 2020
75.4
59.5
75.7
71.7
62.4
78.9
Jan 2021
75.7
62.3
75.3
71.4
61.7
79.4
Feb 2021
77.9
62.0
75.9
73.8
62.8
81.8
Mar 2021
78.8
62.8
76.4
76.1
63.8
82.5
Apr 2021
80.0
63.1
77.6
77.6
65.4
83.6
May 2021
81.3
64.4
78.6
79.9
66.3
84.9
Jun 2021
82.9
67.8
79.9
80.8
68.9
86.4
Jul 2021
84.6
71.1
81.1
82.5
72.7
87.6
Aug 2021
86.0
77.1
81.7
83.7
74.4
88.7
Sep 2021
87.1
82.2
82.6
85.3
75.8
89.6
Oct 2021
88.1
86.6
83.9
85.9
77.0
90.5
Nov 2021
89.2
89.5
85.1
87.5
78.2
91.3
Dec 2021
90.0
92.4
86.3
88.0
79.2
92.1
Jan 2022
90.7
88.4
87.2
89.0
80.0
93.0
Feb 2022
91.7
90.8
88.4
89.8
81.0
93.9
Mar 2022
92.0
92.2
89.4
90.7
81.8
94.0
Apr 2022
92.2
95.1
89.7
89.1
82.6
94.2
May 2022
92.6
95.9
90.6
90.1
83.2
94.5
Jun 2022
93.1
96.6
91.2
90.7
83.8
94.9
Jul 2022
93.8
97.8
92.1
90.5
84.3
95.7
Aug 2022
94.0
96.5
93.1
91.5
84.8
95.9
Sep 2022
94.9
99.5
93.6
92.7
85.2
96.6
Oct 2022
95.2
99.0
93.6
93.5
86.1
96.9
Nov 2022
95.9
97.1
95.6
95.0
86.8
97.6
Dec 2022
96.3
97.7
95.2
95.8
87.4
97.8
Jan 2023
96.9
97.7
96.4
96.2
87.8
98.5
Feb 2023
97.2
98.7
97.3
96.3
88.0
98.9
Mar 2023
97.5
99.8
98.4
96.6
88.0
99.1
Apr 2023
97.5
99.8
98.8
97.1
87.8
99.2
May 2023
97.7
100.6
99.2
97.1
87.7
99.4
Jun 2023
97.8
101.5
99.3
97.7
87.9
99.4
Jul 2023
97.9
101.0
99.5
97.8
88.0
99.5
From February 2020 to May 2020, employment in performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries fell 53.3 percent. The industry has since recovered the jobs lost and employment in July 2023 was 1.0 percent higher than in February 2020.
Employment in food services and drinking places, which accounts for 74 percent of all leisure and hospitality employment, was 0.5 percent below its February 2020 level after declining 48.7 percent from February 2020 to April 2020.
With a 55.6-percent decline in employment from February 2020 to April 2020, the amusement, gambling, and recreation industry recorded the largest decrease among the major components. Employment in July 2023 was 2.2 percent lower than in February 2020.
As of July 2023, accommodation employment was still 12.0 percent below its February 2020 level—more than any other major component industry. Accommodation employment declined 50.1 percent from February 2020 to May 2020.
United States Department of Labor
