Nation still missing millions of leisure and hospitality jobs

DENVER (KDVR) — The U.S. labor force is rebounding, but certain jobs are still lagging far behind their pre-pandemic status.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest jobs report shows the country has regained most of the jobs it had before the COVID pandemic began in March 2020.

In February 2020, there were 152.5 million employed in nonfarm jobs. This March, there were 150.9 million, meaning the nation has 99% of the employment it had before the pandemic.

Not all those jobs have come back in equal numbers. COVID-related economic pressures, workforce changes, inflation and wage growth have each helped change the country’s employment picture.

Some industries have ended up more fully…