TUPELO – If she could fill all the openings on the staff at the Holiday Inn and Suites, Redah Cleveland would have another 10 people on board right now away.
But it might be wishful think on her part, as the hotel industry as a whole is having a shortage of workers.
The American Hotel and Lodging Association expects the U.S. hotel industry to add jobs in 2025, but staffing will remain “well below” 2019 levels, according to the association’s 2025 State of the Industry Partner Trends & Insights Report.
According to industry newsletter and website Hotel Dive, based on state-level data provided by Oxford Economics and STR, the AHLA anticipates the industry will add 14,000 jobs this year. While the industry lost more than 680,000 employees due to the COVID pandemic, U.S. hotels have added back more than 467,000 direct employee over the past four years.
Cleveland has been assistant general manager at the hotel for the past two years, and before that she managed Grata, the restaurant inside the hotel, as well as at other properties in other industries. She knows first-hand how difficult it has been to fill jobs in not only the hotel industry but the hospitality industry as a whole.
“We go through routinely every few months filling a couple of positions somewhere. A lot of time you’re looking for good housekeepers,” she said. “You’re looking for people with good work ethic. We can get 40-50 applicants for a job and interview most of them but maybe only one is willing to learn, willing to make a career and how to grow.”
The hotel recently hired two people to fully staff the front desk, but Cleveland said housekeeping and the restaurant could use another 10 people between them.
It’s not that hotel management hasn’t tried; it’s just that for some employees the industry isn’t what they were expecting.
“We’ve had a lot come in for a day and work and then don’t ever come back,” Cleveland said. “Hospitality is a very demanding industry. You have many different issues that you have to deal wit daily. … it’s hard because some people just want to get paid but don’t want to do the job and don’t want to learn.”
The Holiday Inn and Suites in Tupelo is experiencing what the rest of the industry is facing. As of January, nearly two-thirds (65%) of surveyed hotels reported facing continued labor shortages, with 9% saying they are “severely understaffed,” according to a survey conducted by AHLA and Hireology.
“The hospitality sector has made significant strides in rebuilding its workforce and creating opportunities for career advancement, but staffing shortages continue to present significant challenges,” said AHLA President and CEO Rosanna Maietta in a statement. “The good news is that hotels have never been more competitive, offering strong wages and expanded benefits and focusing on employee satisfaction.”
Pay is a factor in the lack of qualified workers, even though total wages in the hotel industry including salaries and other benefits are expected to grow more than 2% this year, which is a 35.6% increase above 2019 figures.
“Pay is an issue,” Cleveland said. “You cannot pay what a person is worth. Especially i the state of Mississippi. Minimum wage is still $7.75.”
The Holiday Inn and Suites in Tupelo is part of the Wealth Hospitality Group, which operates nearly 80 properties around the country. Starting pay at the hotel is $11 an hour, but it’s competitive with other hotels in the area. Still, its difficult for employees who don’t work full-time.
“With hotel occupancy, your housekeepers may only work 3-4 hours one day and the next work a full 8-hour shift,” she said. That inconsistency makes it harder to hire long-term help.
According to Escoffier Global, a culinary and hospitality workforce development firm, the average weekly hours in hospitality remain steady at 25.5, but average hourly earnings have jumped from $16.84 to $22.53 (up about 34%), outpacing inflation by 8.6%. Nearly 92% of operators report rising labor costs, and 74% see it as a major challenge.
Overall, the number of employees who left the hospitality industry in 2024 was 204% above the national average quit rate. Escoffier Global said top employers are examining workplace culture, hours, pay, and benefits to help remedy the workforce exodus.
A spokesperson from Escoffier said about its study: “As the hospitality industry continues facing staffing and retention challenges in 2025, operators must think strategically about how to stand out to job seekers. While competitive pay is no doubt important, employers can also stand out by thinking more strategically about what job candidates want, including flexible, career-building opportunities.”
Cleveland also has advice for those looking to make a career in hospitality:
“Start at the bottom – that’s what I was always taught. I got started in management 20 years ago,” Cleveland said. “You start climbing and work yourself up. If you grow, that’s great, and if you find something bigger and better, that’s great. That’s what we’re looking for – people who want to start out and want to make a career to of it.”