US Leisure and Hospitality Jobs Drop 21,000 in Two Months After World Cup Start

US leisure and hospitality employment fell by 21,000 over the two months ending in June 2026, erasing a May gain and leaving the sector below its April level, Fortune reported. The decline occurred after the 2026 FIFA World Cup began on June 11, the first time the tournament has been held in the United States since 1994.

FIFA had predicted the five-week event would create the equivalent of 185,000 full-time jobs, mainly in leisure and hospitality, while Bank of America had forecast a 30,000-to-40,000 payroll increase across May and June.

The United States is co-hosting the tournament with Canada and Mexico, with most matches taking place across 11 host cities from the New York area to Los Angeles and expected to draw more than one million fans. US hotels recorded record revenue per available room in the week of June 21-27, the busiest stretch of the tournament so far, according to CoStar data.

Revenue per available room in host markets rose nearly 17 percent from a year earlier, even as occupancy fell nearly 3 percentage points.

An April survey by the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that 80 percent of respondents in host cities reported bookings below expectations. Eli Nir, a US economist at TD Securities, said geopolitical tensions, higher airfares and other barriers could have limited international travel.

Shruti Mishra, an economist at Bank of America, said businesses appear to be using overtime for existing staff rather than adding new hires.

At the national level, the sector showed no pickup in average weekly hours worked in June, and wage growth remained slower than in most other industries. Some businesses near stadiums reported stronger activity. Hiring by entertainment and food-and-beverage firms in neighborhoods with World Cup venues outperformed other areas in May, according to Gusto payroll data.