Labor Department Reports September Drop in Travel Industry Jobs

The U.S. economy added 103,000 jobs in September, according to the latest Labor Department report on September job numbers, and unemployment held steady at 9.1 percent. More than 40 percent of job gains were telecommunications workers going back to work after a strike.

Jobs in the travel industry, after gaining for eight months in a row, fell by 10,000 in September to just over 7.5 million. “Still, so far this year the travel industry has added 94,300 jobs and accounts for 9 percent of the 1 million jobs added to date in 2011,” said David Huether, senior vice president of economics and research at the U.S. Travel Association. “The fact that employment in the travel industry has expanded at a pace 60 percent faster than the rest of the economy highlights the fact that travel in the U.S., whether by domestic or international persons, has been an important force in 2011 U.S. job creation.”

"While one month does not make a trend, the downturn in travel employment is a warning sign that Americans remain anxious about the current state of the economy,” Huether said.  “And given the present uncertainties regarding prospects domestically, it is paramount that the U.S. economy tap into healthier overseas markets, particularly in developing economies such as Brazil, India and China, where the U.S. visa system limits the number of visitors who could come to the United States and support American jobs.”