Total non-farm payroll employment in the United States rose by 172,000 in May 2026. US FIFA World Cup cities have increased hiring in the hospitality sector in preparation for a major influx of fans from all over the world. The word hospitality refers to the activity or business of providing services to customers in hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés, cruise ships, and theme parks, etc.
The unemployment rate in May, at 4.3%, remained unchanged compared to the previous month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In May, there were 7.3 million people unemployed, compared to 7.4 million in April.
Official figures showed that job gains grew significantly in the hospitality and leisure industries, as well as local government and health care.
Some financial activities, such as insurance carriers, commercial banking, real estate services, and commodity brokerages, registered a decline in hiring.
May’s job gains were much greater than economists’ and analysts’ expectations of approximately 80,000.
Leisure and hospitality
Over the previous twelve months, job gains in the leisure and hospitality industries were on average 14,000 per month. In May, they shot up to 70,000 jobs. Food services and drinking places accounted for 68.57% (48,000) of all leisure and hospitality new hires.
Job vacancies were especially high in places near official matches, stadiums, and hubs.
Local government
Employment in local government increased by 55,000 in May. The vast majority of this growth, 44,000 jobs, came from non-educational roles, such as administrative and public safety positions.
This expansion in the public sector mirrors what is happening in the private sector. Municipalities in World Cup host cities are scaling up services and infrastructure teams ahead of the expected heavy tourism wave. Local governments will need more police officers, traffic control agents, private security liaison employees, and paramedics and first responders. Cities will also need more street sweepers, stadium cleaners, waste collection personnel, food inspectors, and many more.
Health care and social assistance
A total of 35,000 jobs were added in the health care industry in May, which was slightly down on the monthly gain of 38,000 over the previous 12 months. Ambulatory health care services added 26,000 jobs.
Social assistance jobs, at 12,000 in May, were slightly less than the 12-month average of 17,000 jobs per month.
Relatively low bookings
Despite the increase in hiring, initial World Cup hotel and Airbnb bookings are disappointing. Fans from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa say that hyper-inflated room rates, transport costs, flights, and stadium tickets have put them off. There is also a feeling that America is no longer tourist-friendly. Could these factors be keeping booking numbers down?
