A new survey finds hotels in Iowa lost nearly 10,000 jobs during the pandemic and nearly 2,000 of those jobs have yet to return.

Jenn Clark Fugolo, spokeswoman for the American Hotel & Lodging Association, says it’s a challenge facing the industry not just in Iowa, but across the country. “We recently conducted a survey of AHLA members and 97% of hoteliers said they were experiencing a staff shortage and almost 50% said it was severe,” says Fugolo. “Also consider on a macro level that the labor force participation rate, just in general, is not where it was before the pandemic.”

In addition to lost jobs, the survey says hotels in Iowa also lost $420 million in room revenue alone during the pandemic. Fugolo says hotel owners in Iowa are working to attract new workers to the industry.
“They raised salaries. Nearly 90% said they did,” says Fugolo. “Most of them also offer greater flexibility and extended benefits, so when you look at this package holistically, the hospitality industry becomes a really great place to join and stay.”

While hotel workers often get deeply discounted rooms when they go on vacation, she says another perk of working in the hospitality industry is the ease of upward mobility. “It’s not uncommon to start at the entry level and move up quickly with programs in place to learn and acquire new skills, ranging from certifications and a very specific point of study to free tuition. , reimbursement of tuition fees, learning,” says Fugolo. “All of these things are in place to really support an employee on their journey to advancement.”

Not only are there positions open like reception and housekeeping, but she says there are opportunities in other areas, including housekeeping, sales and event planning. The association says Iowa has more than 700 hotel properties representing more than 51,000 rooms and employing more than 65,000 people across the state.