As per data from job site Indeed, jobs in hospitality and tourism are bouncing back, with postings down 58% in September 2020, as against the 69% drop in May this year from 2019 levels.

One of the sectors worst-hit by the pandemic, the tourism industry saw job postings decrease by 49% between March and August 2020, as compared to 2019. Overall, job postings in August 2020 were down by 56%, as compared to 2019, with job searches for these roles down by 44%, as compared to 2019.  Job searches during this time were also down by 45%. 

Sashi Kumar, Managing Director, Indeed India, said, “Despite the setback the hospitality industry has faced in light of the pandemic and its repercussions, it is heartening to see positive jobseeker sentiment towards these roles. With one in every eight jobs in India related to tourism, directly or indirectly, the sector is a vital contributor to the nation’s economy. With the government’s measures to ensure both the safety of its people as well as the wellbeing of its economy, it is the ideal environment to take stock of the challenges that the sector sees and implement sustainable solutions that will boost tourism in the long run.” 

Job searches for tourism-related roles have been on the rise since May 2020, coinciding with the easing of lockdown measures across the country. Searches by job seekers saw a 30% increase between May and August 2020, even as job postings during the same period saw a drop of 21%. Given the fact that the tourism sector is one of the worst-hit sectors of the pandemic, it is a bit of relief that things have started looking up as far as jobs in the sector are concerned.

As reported by Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CIME), about 21 Mn salaried employees lost their jobs during April-August, with about 3.3 Mn jobs being lost in August and 4.8 Mn in July.