Silver-Haired and Shameless About Perks: Retirees Take Part-time Work in the Travel Industry

The couple are not wealthy. They live in Upland, California, a city about 40 miles inland from Los Angeles, and the new reality where they can head to the airport and casually wait for a standby ticket to any city in the world keeps them craving. I admit that I am pinch yourself

The travel industry is facing a serious labor shortage. Domestic employment in the leisure and hospitality sector in June fell nearly 8% from February 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with hotels, airlines and other travel companies gearing up to meet surging demand. is not done. With flight cancellations rampant, terminal halls full of lost suitcases, and room service and daily housekeeping declining, companies are recruiting talent at job fairs and We are enhancing welfare programs with bonuses and same-day payments. It also urges seniors to be considered for positions that are far removed from them.

Dan Bienstock, chief people officer at hotel management firm EOS Hospitality, said: “There are more openings than ever across the company, and we are thinking outside the box about how to retain talent.”

More than half of the 38 hotels in EOS’ portfolio, including Red Jacket Resorts in Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Cape Arundel Inn in Kennebunk, Maine, rely heavily on seasonal guests and seasonal employment. While the company does not actively target older workers for its summer jobs, it is looking to expand into the hotel community to supplement the summer workforce that has long been filled by foreign workers on H-2B visas. , he said, has been focusing on recruiting.

“The hotel industry’s labor pool has been hit very hard and since the pandemic it has become harder to fill these entry-level jobs,” said the property management firm, which is working with more than 300 people. Eric Rubino, Chief Development Officer, Extreme Hospitality. Hotel. “For seniors who may not mind working hard, they can say, ‘I don’t need the money, but that travel perk means a lot.'”

However, even those who don’t need the money may find a little extra cash appealing. It has outpaced the increase, increasing from 418,000 to 590,000. This uptick comes when inflation hits a record high, a phenomenon that hits retirees and those using bonds hardest.