The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is fuelling a hiring boom in US hospitality, with hotels, restaurants and event venues scrambling to fill positions. Latest figures from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics show hospitality employment rose by 53,000 in March, the highest monthly gain since last summer. Wages in the sector have ticked up 4.2% year-on-year to $18.70 an hour, though still below the national average. For Britain, the scramble offers a chance to export our hospitality expertise: UK-based training firms report a surge in interest from US chains seeking experienced managers, chefs and front-of-house staff. But there are warnings that a temporary visa scheme for the tournament could leave UK hotels short-staffed at home if British workers take up offers across the Atlantic.
The US jobs surge is concentrated in cities hosting matches: Los Angeles, New York, Dallas and Atlanta are seeing the biggest increases. In New York, hotel occupancy rates hit 87% in March, pushing up room rates by 15% on last year. The National Restaurant Association expects the sector to add 200,000 jobs in the run-up to the tournament, many of them low-paid shift work. Unions warn that the boom will inflate rents in already tight housing markets, squeezing workers on modest wages. 'Hospitality staff are being asked to work longer hours for tips that don't cover the bills,' said Maria Torres, organiser with UNITE HERE, the hotel workers' union. 'We're seeing more fights over scheduling and harassment complaints as stress mounts.'
For Britain, the World Cup presents a two-sided coin. On the one hand, UK-based training providers like People 1st and HIT Training report a spike in enquiries from US hotel groups wanting to upskill their workforce before the crowds arrive. 'British hospitality is world-class for service standards and vocational training,' said Jane Rexworthy, head of People 1st. 'We're exporting expertise, and that's good for our balance of trade.' The Department for International Trade is actively promoting UK hospitality skills at US trade fairs, highlighting apprenticeships and management programmes.
But the flip side is a potential brain drain. The US has expanded its temporary visa quotas for hospitality workers, allowing up to 66,000 H-2B visas this year, many of which will go to bar staff, chefs and cleaners from Europe. UK Hospitality, the trade body, warns that smaller hotels and B&Bs could lose staff to higher US wages if the visa process is made easier. 'We already struggle to recruit chefs and housekeepers,' said Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UK Hospitality. 'If the US becomes more attractive, our members will suffer. We need the government to make hospitality roles in the UK more competitive, with better pay and conditions.'
Average pay in UK hospitality remains stubbornly low at £11.80 an hour, around £2 less than the US equivalent when adjusted for purchasing power. The Living Wage Foundation says one in four UK hospitality workers earns below the real living wage. 'We're exporting our best people because we don't value them at home,' said Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite. 'The government should be investing in training and raising wages, not watching our workers leave.'
For workers caught in this crosscurrent, the decision is personal. 'I love my job in Manchester, but I've been offered double the money in Miami for six months,' said Liam, a 28-year-old chef considering the move. 'It's hard to say no when the rent is going up every year.' The UK's hospitality sector faces a summer of choice: invest in its own people, or watch them serve the World Cup abroad.
