We're Back: Travel Jobs Fully Recover

Dear Travel Colleague: We end this week with the remarkable announcement that travel employment has returned to pre-Great Recession levels. This milestone, based on U.S. Department of Labor figures released today, leaves little room for doubt: travel is a job-creating powerhouse. Travel Jobs Roar Back Month over month, the industry has climbed steadily to recovery. With the 7,000 jobs added in January, plus a substantial upward revision to previous data, the travel industry now employs more workers than its pre-recession peak of February 2008. In fact, the new labor report reveals that we actually reached the milestone in October and have since gone above and beyond, standing 11 percent higher than the number of travel workers in 2008. In total, travel supports 14.6 million American jobs, directly employs one in eight Americans, and is a top 10 employer in 47 states and the District of Columbia. In a League of Our Own While it is our hope that the economy overall prospers, it is travel that has been leading the recovery, adding workers faster than other sectors. The travel industry has added jobs at a rate 19 percent faster than the rest of the economy, which has replaced only 88 percent of jobs lost during the recession. Unfortunately, sectors such as construction, manufacturing, real estate and finance are far from fully recovered. Continuing the Climb I am proud of our industry for this exceptional performance and our ability to provide answers to America's complex economic challenges. But there's more we can do. If further supported by responsible policies like the JOLT Act and reauthorization of programs like Brand USA that work for America, travel can contribute to a strong, upwardly mobile job market and create opportunities for all to succeed. Help spread the word that travel means jobs in your community. Together, we'll continue to drive our nation's recovery and put Americans back to work. Sincerely, Roger J. Dow President and CEO Join us @ustravel. Like us on Facebook.

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