Back in August 2022, the number of people employed in the US officially overtook pre-pandemic highs reached in February 2020.
But the headline recovery in the labor market papered over weakness that remained in the industries hardest hit by the pandemic. Namely, restaurants and hotels.
The September jobs report showed employment in the accommodations industry — which covers hotels — remains the last major holdout in restoring the labor market to its pre-pandemic status.
In September, employment in the food services and drinking places industry rose by 61,000, returning this industry to its February 2020 level. As of September, 12,368,400 people worked in this industry; in February 2020, 12,338,900 people were employed in this line of work.
Accommodations employment, in contrast, stood 10.3% below levels that prevailed just before the pandemic. Last month, the industry added 16,000…
