My Recruiting Blog

A slew of people are applying for available Los Angeles hotel jobs.

The leisure and hospitality industry, specifically hotels and restaurants, has been hit hard by the current economic recession. As fewer people have the money to travel and splurge on dining out, many workers in this industry have been laid off.

So it's not surprising the few hotels that are hiring have seen an influx of applicants. For instance, about 11,000 people applied for 400 job openings at the W Hollywood Hotel & Residences, which are scheduled to open in Hollywood early next year, while about 3,500 people applied for 550 job openings at the new Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles.

John Husing, an independent economist with Economics & Politics, Inc., told the Los Angeles Times that the high number of hotel job applicants in Southern California reflects the high number of workers with limited education searching for positions in the service sector.

He said 45.5 percent of those 25-years and older in Los Angeles do not have a college education and are therefore limited to blue-collar or service work. While these workers have traditionally been supported by jobs in other industries, such as construction, manufacturing and cargo, those industries have seen an even bigger decrease in employment than the hotel sector.

"When something opens up in one of the service sectors that doesn't require a heavy level of education, it's not surprising that so many people would show up," Husing said.

As recent labor market statistics show, the Los Angeles area could certainly use the additional jobs, especially in the leisure and hospitality industry.

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area's leisure and hospitality industry employed 385,600 workers during October, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 386,100 workers during September and a 2.7 percent decrease from last year.

Labels: Los Angeles hotel jobs