COVID-19 Employment Study:
US Cities Most Impacted by Leisure and Hospitality Job Loss and Recovery
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COVID-19 has impacted every sector of the economy, but the leisure and hospitality (L&H) industry has been hit particularly hard. This sector encompasses arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodations and food service — all industries significantly disrupted by COVID restrictions. Despite data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) pointing to an overall resurgence in leisure and hospitality, many cities are still struggling to recover these jobs.
MoneyGeek analyzed recent data to determine the cities impacted most by leisure and hospitality job losses, as well as the cities that have recovered the most jobs.
Key Findings:
- Between February 2020 and April 2020, almost half of the sector’s jobs disappeared, according to the BLS.
- 2.1 million leisure and hospitality jobs are still missing compared to February 2020’s jobs levels of 16.9 million.
- Despite still missing millions of jobs, the leisure and hospitality industry has gained back 75% of its jobs since its April 2020 low of 8.6 million.
- Recovery isn't uniform. For instance, while Atlantic City, NJ recovered 94% of lost leisure and hospitality jobs as of June 2021, Orlando, FL was still missing 30% of its hospitality positions.
Cities That Have Recovered the Most Leisure and Hospitality Jobs
As cities and states reopen their economies, many leisure and hospitality jobs have returned. To assess the cities that have recovered the most leisure and hospitality jobs, MoneyGeek’s data team analyzed 338 metropolitan statistical areas and calculated the change in hospitality job numbers from February 2020 to June 2021. Comparing from February 2020 allowed us to examine each city’s pre-COVID job numbers. We then normalized the recovered jobs based on the city population and the size of the leisure and hospitality sector by calculating the recovered jobs as a percent of the total employment.
In other words, MoneyGeek identified the cities where recovered leisure and hospitality jobs had the largest impact.
For example, by June 2021, Atlantic City, NJ had recovered 27,800 leisure and hospitality jobs, or 94% of the jobs lost. These 27,800 jobs represented a return of 24% of the total jobs in the area, which indicates the magnitude of these recovered jobs relative to the entire Atlantic City job market.
25 Top Cities That Have Recovered Leisure and Hospitality Jobs
Rank | Metropolitan Area | Recovery Impact (% of total jobs) | L&H Jobs Recovered (to Jun '21) | % L&H Jobs Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Atlantic City, NJ | 24.1% | 27,800 | 93.9% |
2 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 12.5% | 23,500 | 126.3% |
3 | Gulfport, MS | 8.0% | 12,600 | 95.5% |
4 | Buffalo, NY | 6.3% | 32,400 | 98.5% |
5 | Asheville, NC | 6.2% | 14,200 | 85.0% |
6 | Savannah, GA | 6.1% | 11,600 | 95.1% |
7 | Charleston, SC | 5.6% | 21,600 | 87.8% |
8 | Providence, RI | 5.6% | 37,200 | 95.6% |
9 | Des Moines, IA | 5.5% | 19,700 | 112.6% |
10 | Harrisburg, PA | 5.4% | 15,600 | 100.0% |
11 | Cincinnati, OH | 4.8% | 52,900 | 90.0% |
12 | Bridgeport, CT | 4.8% | 21,300 | 94.7% |
13 | Albany, NY | 4.6% | 19,600 | 92.0% |
14 | Omaha, NE | 4.5% | 21,900 | 104.3% |
15 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | 4.5% | 29,400 | 92.7% |
16 | Rochester, NY | 4.5% | 22,200 | 91.0% |
17 | Colorado Springs, CO | 4.4% | 15,300 | 90.5% |
18 | Allentown, PA | 4.4% | 18,700 | 93.5% |
19 | Kansas City, MO | 4.3% | 48,100 | 98.6% |
20 | Virginia Beach, VA | 4.2% | 35,800 | 90.6% |
21 | Wichita, KS | 4.2% | 13,100 | 97.8% |
22 | Grand Rapids, MI | 4.1% | 23,700 | 86.5% |
23 | Corpus Christi, TX | 4.1% | 8,100 | 97.6% |
24 | Hartford, CT | 4.1% | 24,800 | 89.5% |
25 | Akron, OH | 4.1% | 14,100 | 86.5% |
Top Cities Where Hospitality Job Losses Hurt the Most
As COVID-19 shut down events and travel, jobs in cities highly reliant on the tourism economy dropped off significantly. MoneyGeek compiled the number of leisure and hospitality jobs lost for each of the 338 metropolitan statistical areas since February 2020. To select the top cities, we calculated the lost jobs as a percent of the total employment in the city to assess where hospitality job losses hurt the most.
For example, as of June 2021, Kahului, Hawaii (the Metropolitan Statistical Area covering Maui, Lanai, and Molokai) had lost 33% of its leisure and hospitality jobs, which translates to a 9.8% decrease in total employment.
25 Cities Hardest Hit by Leisure and Hospitality Job Losses
Rank | Metro Area | Jun '21
Lost Jobs:
% Total Jobs | Jun '21
Lost Jobs
v. Feb '20 | Feb '20
L&H Jobs | Lost Jobs:
% of Feb L&H |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kahului, HI | -9.8% | -8,400 | 25,800 | -33% |
2 | Orlando, FL | -6.3% | -84,400 | 280,600 | -30% |
3 | Las Vegas, NV | -6.0% | -68,400 | 292,300 | -23% |
4 | New Orleans, LA | -4.5% | -26,700 | 92,800 | -29% |
5 | Naples, FL | -4.0% | -7,300 | 33,000 | -22% |
6 | Urban Honolulu, HI | -3.6% | -16,100 | 75,900 | -21% |
7 | San Francisco Bay , CA | -3.4% | -85,000 | 281,900 | -30% |
8 | Cape Coral, FL | -3.2% | -11,300 | 47,400 | -24% |
9 | Salinas, CA | -3.2% | -6,100 | 26,200 | -23% |
10 | San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, CA | -3.1% | -32,800 | 105,300 | -31% |
11 | San Diego, CA | -2.7% | -41,800 | 197,800 | -21% |
12 | Santa Maria, CA | -2.6% | -5,500 | 28,400 | -19% |
13 | Sacramento, CA | -2.5% | -26,700 | 110,800 | -24% |
14 | North Port, FL | -2.3% | -8,500 | 49,100 | -17% |
15 | Los Angeles Metro, CA | -2.2% | -144,200 | 773,400 | -19% |
16 | Portland, OR | -2.0% | -26,200 | 123,500 | -21% |
17 | New York Metro (NY/NJ) | -2.0% | -195,700 | 905,000 | -22% |
18 | Miami, FL | -2.0% | -61,300 | 344,900 | -18% |
19 | Washington, DC Metro | -1.9% | -65,400 | 326,400 | -20% |
20 | Durham, NC | -1.9% | -5,700 | 28,600 | -20% |
21 | Lexington, KY | -1.8% | -4,700 | 31,300 | -15% |
22 | Seattle, WA | -1.7% | -36,900 | 202,400 | -18% |
23 | Reno, NV | -1.7% | -4,300 | 38,100 | -11% |
24 | Chicago, IL | -1.6% | -75,600 | 475,100 | -16% |
25 | Riverside, CA | -1.6% | -32,200 | 179,100 | -18% |
Cities With the Largest Number of Leisure and Hospitality Jobs Lost
MoneyGeek also reviewed the cities that saw the most significant declines in leisure and hospitality jobs in the United States overall. As of June 2021, these larger metro areas accounted for 1.3 million leisure and hospitality job losses.
25 Cities With the Most Leisure and Hospitality Job Losses
Metropolitan Area | Jun '21
L&H Jobs | Change v.
Feb '20 | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
New York Metro (NY/NJ) | 709,300 | -195,700 | -21.6% |
Los Angeles Metro, CA | 629,200 | -144,200 | -18.6% |
San Francisco Bay , CA | 196,900 | -85,000 | -30.2% |
Orlando, FL | 196,200 | -84,400 | -30.1% |
Greater Chicago , IL | 399,500 | -75,600 | -15.9% |
Las Vegas, NV | 223,900 | -68,400 | -23.4% |
Washington, DC Metro | 261,000 | -65,400 | -20.0% |
Miami, FL | 283,600 | -61,300 | -17.8% |
San Diego, CA | 156,000 | -41,800 | -21.1% |
Atlanta, GA | 260,300 | -40,400 | -13.4% |
Boston, MA | 229,200 | -38,700 | -14.4% |
Seattle, WA | 165,500 | -36,900 | -18.2% |
Greater Philadelphia, PA | 231,100 | -35,500 | -13.3% |
San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, CA | 72,500 | -32,800 | -31.1% |
Riverside, CA | 146,900 | -32,200 | -18.0% |
Phoenix, AZ | 213,300 | -29,000 | -12.0% |
New Orleans, LA | 66,100 | -26,700 | -28.8% |
Sacramento, CA | 84,100 | -26,700 | -24.1% |
Portland, OR | 97,300 | -26,200 | -21.2% |
Detroit, MI | 170,200 | -24,100 | -12.4% |
Minneapolis, MN | 162,700 | -21,000 | -11.4% |
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | 375,900 | -20,200 | -5.1% |
Denver, CO | 150,300 | -17,700 | -10.5% |
Urban Honolulu, HI | 59,800 | -16,100 | -21.2% |
Baltimore, MD | 114,600 | -15,900 | -12.2% |
An Industry Quick to Decline But Slowly Recovering
Leisure and hospitality job numbers were cut in half during the first two months of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Unfortunately, this sector may also be slow to recover in some places.
Jobs in the leisure and hospitality sector and related industries are vital to the economy of many American cities. Losses in this sector have significantly impacted the overall unemployment rate and have even had a ripple effect on other sectors. Large metropolitan areas with a reliance on tourists, travel and gambling are among the hardest hit by COVID-19.
As the nation looks to signs of economic recovery, the leisure and hospitality industry landscape is changing. Many businesses are exploring new models and ways to help people dine safely or connect them from a distance. From curbside pickup and limited capacity dining to virtual concerts and the return of the drive-in movie experience, business owners and employees are looking for opportunities to provide safe entertainment and maintain jobs.
If you or a loved one has lost a job due to COVID-19, resources are available to help you recover, file for unemployment, retrieve lost wages and find new work opportunities.
Expert Insight on Leisure and Hospitality Job Losses
- What advice would you give to laid-off or furloughed leisure and hospitality workers during COVID-19?
- What long-term impacts do you think leisure and hospitality job losses will have on state and local economies?
- What kind of employment or industry shifts do you foresee as a result of hospitality job losses?
- In some states, restaurants, bars and other service-related establishments have reopened and then closed again. What are the long and short-term implications of these shifts for business owners, workers and local economies?
- What are some of the impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the hospitality industry?
- Which impacts from the pandemic do you anticipate will be long-lasting or permanent?
- How have businesses reacted or adjusted to COVID-19? What's different about larger companies versus small businesses?
- Given the current environment, what advice would you give to hospitality workers and businesses?
Director of the Hospitality Institute at Indian River State College
Clinical Professor at the Lubin School of Business at Pace University
Professor - Hospitality and Tourism at Feliciano School of Business
Founding and Continuing Adjunct Hospitality Law Faculty, San Jose State University
Founding Director, WVU HIT Lab & Associate Professor
Lecturer at The Collins College
Ph.D., CHIA, Director of Tourism and Hospitality Studies at Central Connecticut State University
Assistant Professor and Director of Research at Florida International University’s (FIU) Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (CSHTM)
Assistant Professor and Event Management Extension Specialist at the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska
Associate Professor at New York City College of Technology, City University of New York
Associate Professor in the School of Hospitality, Sport and Tourism Management at Troy University
Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Indiana University Kokomo
CEO at Inspire Careers
Executive Director and Professor in the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University
Professor of Business Management at Widener University
Assistant Professor of Sustainable Hospitality at California State University Monterey Bay
Associate Professor, Hospitality Management at York College of Pennsylvania
Assistant Professor, Lam Family College of Business, San Francisco State University
Professor of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University
Affiliate Professor in Grand Valley State University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program
Fixed Term Faculty, Hospitality; Internship Director-Hospitality Program at the College of Business Administration at Central Michigan University
Ph.D., JD, Department Chair of Hospitality, Tourism, & Culinary Arts at the College of Coastal Georgia
Associate Professor of Hospitality Management at Northampton Community College
CHIA, CHTP, Program Manager, Hotel & Hospitality Management at Highline College
Associate Professor, Hospitality Management at the University of San Francisco
Founding Director Hospitality and Tourism Management University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Professor and Director of the School of Hospitality Leadership at East Carolina University
Associate Professor in Hospitality Management in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech
Partner and Chair of the Food, Beverage and Hospitality Group at Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP
Business Administration Faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College
McKibbon Endowed Chair & Director of M3 Center at the University of South Florida
Professor of Hospitality, San Diego Mesa College, College of Business
Program Director & Associate Professor of Practice, Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Senior Instructor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida
Department Chairperson of Graduate Business Programs at Johnson & Wales University, College of Business
Associate Professor, Hospitality and Food Management at Ball State University
Assistant Director & Scholarly Associate Professor, School of Hospitality Business Management, Washington State University, Carson College of Business
Professor of Hospitality and Food Management at Ball State University
Associate Professor, Department of Management at University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Associate Dean, College of Education and Community Innovation at Grand Valley State University
Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the College of Charleston
Professor at The Collins College of Hospitality Management, California State Polytechnic University Pomona
Program Director and Assistant Professor at Dallas Baptist University
Clinical Assistant Professor of Hospitality Marketing at the NYUSPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality
Associate Professor of Hotel Operations & Technology William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Senior Director of Hospitality Operations at North Star Casino Resort in Wisconsin and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Southern California and Facilitate Hospitality Management Courses at Cornell University
Associate Professor, Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management Isenberg School of Management University of Massachusetts
Associate Professor in the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management in the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver
Professor of Management at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration
Hospitality Risk and Safety Consultant and Professor of Public Safety, University of Central Florida
Associate Professor and Director of the School of Hospitality, Sport and Tourism Management at Husson University
Associate Professor of Public Policy and Economics in the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University, and Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)
Professor of Practice, School of Hospitality Administration, Boston University
Full Data Set
Metro Area | Jun '21
Lost Jobs:
% Total Jobs | Jun '21
Lost Jobs
v. Feb '20 | L&H Jobs
Recovered
(to Jun '21) | % L&H
Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Kahului, HI | -9.77% | -8,400 | 8,900 | 51.4% |
Orlando, FL | -6.31% | -84,400 | 66,600 | 44.1% |
Las Vegas, NV | -5.99% | -68,400 | 96,900 | 58.6% |
New Orleans, LA | -4.51% | -26,700 | 22,600 | 45.8% |
Naples, FL | -3.98% | -7,300 | 8,200 | 52.9% |
Urban Honolulu, HI | -3.56% | -16,100 | 27,500 | 63.1% |
San Francisco Bay , CA | -3.38% | -85,000 | 65,800 | 43.6% |
Cape Coral, FL | -3.24% | -11,300 | 12,200 | 51.9% |
Salinas, CA | -3.19% | -6,100 | 7,900 | 56.4% |
San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, CA | -3.10% | -32,800 | 19,600 | 37.4% |
San Diego, CA | -2.72% | -41,800 | 60,000 | 58.9% |
Santa Maria, CA | -2.59% | -5,500 | 8,200 | 59.9% |
Sacramento, CA | -2.51% | -26,700 | 27,900 | 51.1% |
North Port, FL | -2.34% | -8,500 | 15,000 | 63.8% |
Los Angeles Metro, CA | -2.20% | -144,200 | 203,300 | 58.5% |
Portland, OR | -2.02% | -26,200 | 36,400 | 58.1% |
New York Metro (NY/NJ) | -2.02% | -195,700 | 337,200 | 63.3% |
Miami, FL | -1.97% | -61,300 | 112,400 | 64.7% |
Washington, DC Metro | -1.91% | -65,400 | 102,200 | 61.0% |
Durham, NC | -1.87% | -5,700 | 7,500 | 56.8% |
Lexington, KY | -1.77% | -4,700 | 9,400 | 66.7% |
Seattle, WA | -1.71% | -36,900 | 48,100 | 56.6% |
Reno, NV | -1.66% | -4,300 | 16,700 | 79.5% |
Greater Chicago , IL | -1.63% | -75,600 | 148,400 | 66.3% |
Riverside, CA | -1.59% | -32,200 | 43,200 | 57.3% |
Oxnard, CA | -1.59% | -6,500 | 10,600 | 62.0% |
Atlantic City, NJ | -1.56% | -1,800 | 27,800 | 93.9% |
Santa Rosa, CA | -1.53% | -3,800 | 9,600 | 71.6% |
Madison, WI | -1.50% | -5,700 | 14,800 | 72.2% |
Columbia, SC | -1.48% | -5,800 | 10,700 | 64.8% |
Boston, MA | -1.42% | -38,700 | 118,000 | 75.3% |
Fresno, CA | -1.32% | -5,500 | 7,500 | 57.7% |
Atlanta, GA | -1.32% | -40,400 | 92,400 | 69.6% |
Richmond, VA | -1.30% | -8,800 | 21,600 | 71.1% |
Nashville, TN | -1.28% | -13,600 | 35,200 | 72.1% |
Albuquerque, NM | -1.26% | -5,300 | 14,600 | 73.4% |
Tucson, AZ | -1.25% | -6,000 | 13,100 | 68.6% |
Greensboro, NC | -1.22% | -4,400 | 11,600 | 72.5% |
Phoenix, AZ | -1.19% | -29,000 | 71,900 | 71.3% |
Detroit, MI | -1.17% | -24,100 | 87,700 | 78.4% |
Greater Philadelphia, PA | -1.17% | -35,500 | 113,000 | 76.1% |
Austin, TX | -1.15% | -14,200 | 47,300 | 76.9% |
Springfield, MA | -1.11% | -4,000 | 14,100 | 77.9% |
Asheville, NC | -1.08% | -2,500 | 14,200 | 85.0% |
Denver, CO | -1.08% | -17,700 | 62,500 | 77.9% |
Bakersfield, CA | -1.07% | -3,800 | 6,100 | 61.6% |
Baltimore, MD | -1.07% | -15,900 | 52,400 | 76.7% |
Minneapolis, MN | -1.06% | -21,000 | 81,100 | 79.4% |
Columbus, OH | -1.05% | -11,200 | 39,500 | 77.9% |
Indianapolis, IN | -0.99% | -10,300 | 36,300 | 77.9% |
Syracuse, NY | -0.97% | -2,800 | 13,700 | 83.0% |
Toledo, OH | -0.96% | -2,800 | 12,700 | 81.9% |
Salt Lake City, UT | -0.95% | -6,300 | 21,900 | 77.7% |
Tampa, FL | -0.92% | -14,100 | 58,300 | 80.5% |
Raleigh, NC | -0.89% | -6,400 | 28,800 | 81.8% |
Greenville, SC | -0.88% | -3,700 | 15,600 | 80.8% |
Milwaukee, WI | -0.87% | -6,800 | 34,400 | 83.5% |
Chattanooga, TN | -0.86% | -2,300 | 8,700 | 79.1% |
San Antonio, TX | -0.85% | -10,000 | 45,800 | 82.1% |
Deltona, FL | -0.85% | -2,500 | 12,200 | 83.0% |
Pittsburgh, PA | -0.81% | -9,300 | 52,200 | 84.9% |
Winston, NC | -0.81% | -2,600 | 9,500 | 78.5% |
Cleveland, OH | -0.80% | -8,100 | 42,300 | 83.9% |
Jackson, MS | -0.79% | -2,000 | 7,800 | 79.6% |
Charleston, SC | -0.78% | -3,000 | 21,600 | 87.8% |
Little Rock, AR | -0.75% | -2,600 | 10,700 | 80.5% |
Dayton, OH | -0.74% | -2,800 | 13,100 | 82.4% |
Palm Bay, FL | -0.72% | -2,000 | 10,300 | 83.7% |
Jacksonville, FL | -0.71% | -5,500 | 29,900 | 84.5% |
St Louis, MO | -0.71% | -10,100 | 55,500 | 84.6% |
Grand Rapids, MI | -0.65% | -3,700 | 23,700 | 86.5% |
Akron, OH | -0.64% | -2,200 | 14,100 | 86.5% |
Cincinnati, OH | -0.54% | -5,900 | 52,900 | 90.0% |
Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | -0.52% | -20,200 | 139,500 | 87.4% |
Hartford, CT | -0.48% | -2,900 | 24,800 | 89.5% |
Colorado Springs, CO | -0.46% | -1,600 | 15,300 | 90.5% |
Pensacola, FL | -0.45% | -1,000 | 7,900 | 88.8% |
Rochester, NY | -0.45% | -2,200 | 22,200 | 91.0% |
Memphis, TN | -0.44% | -2,700 | 20,900 | 88.6% |
Baton Rouge, LA | -0.44% | -1,800 | 14,900 | 89.2% |
Virginia Beach, VA | -0.44% | -3,700 | 35,800 | 90.6% |
Augusta, GA | -0.42% | -1,100 | 7,500 | 87.2% |
Albany, NY | -0.40% | -1,700 | 19,600 | 92.0% |
Gulfport, MS | -0.38% | -600 | 12,600 | 95.5% |
Charlotte, NC | -0.37% | -4,900 | 54,500 | 91.8% |
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | -0.35% | -2,300 | 29,400 | 92.7% |
Savannah, GA | -0.32% | -600 | 11,600 | 95.1% |
El Paso, TX | -0.31% | -1,100 | 13,800 | 92.6% |
Allentown, PA | -0.31% | -1,300 | 18,700 | 93.5% |
Bridgeport, CT | -0.27% | -1,200 | 21,300 | 94.7% |
McAllen, TX | -0.27% | -900 | 9,100 | 91.0% |
Providence, RI | -0.25% | -1,700 | 37,200 | 95.6% |
Birmingham, AL | -0.24% | -1,300 | 18,700 | 93.5% |
Houston, TX | -0.24% | -8,000 | 119,900 | 93.7% |
Knoxville, TN | -0.19% | -800 | 14,900 | 94.9% |
Corpus Christi, TX | -0.10% | -200 | 8,100 | 97.6% |
Buffalo, NY | -0.10% | -500 | 32,400 | 98.5% |
Wichita, KS | -0.10% | -300 | 13,100 | 97.8% |
Kansas City, MO | -0.06% | -700 | 48,100 | 98.6% |
Harrisburg, PA | 0.00% | 0 | 15,600 | 100.0% |
Oklahoma City, OK | 0.00% | 0 | 25,700 | 100.0% |
Fayetteville, AR | 0.11% | 300 | 11,000 | 102.8% |
Boise, ID | 0.13% | 500 | 15,000 | 103.4% |
Tulsa, OK | 0.15% | 700 | 15,800 | 104.6% |
Omaha, NE | 0.19% | 900 | 21,900 | 104.3% |
Des Moines, IA | 0.62% | 2,200 | 19,700 | 112.6% |
Myrtle Beach, SC | 2.60% | 4,900 | 23,500 | 126.3% |
Methodology
The MoneyGeek data analysis team gathered data of industries by metropolitan statistical area (MSA) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to generate its listings.
The team reviewed 338 MSAs with leisure and hospitality job data and selected cities to determine the most recovered cities. The final list of most recovered cities was determined based on the MSAs that had over 25,000 leisure and hospitality jobs in February 2020 and then ordered based on the number of recovered jobs divided by the total employment for the MSA in all sectors in February 2020. This calculation normalizes for the size of the city and for the proportion of leisure and hospitality jobs in that city’s economy. Any city that had recovered less than the average job recovery list was removed from the listing of most recovered jobs.
To find the cities that had lost the most hospitality jobs, we calculated the lowest leisure and hospitality employment number since February 2020 versus June 2021’s employment levels to calculate the total lost jobs due to coronavirus. The amount of recovered jobs is calculated as the difference between job numbers in June 2021 and February 2020. An MSA with zero jobs recovered indicates that June 2021 is their lowest month.
To determine the cities hurt the most by leisure and hospitality losses, we calculated the number of jobs lost between February 2020 and June 2021. This number was divided by the total employment for the city in February 2020 to quantify the impact of these lost jobs on overall employment in the city.
About Danielle Kiser
sources
- Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment (Monthly)." Accessed August 11, 2021.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Employment and Earnings Table B-1a." Accessed August 11, 2021.