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By Angela Rose, Hcareers.com

According to The Outlook for the US Economy, released by Goldman Sachs in October of 2011, “Household finances are gradually getting healthier.” This is great news for the hospitality industry. The willingness of Americans to spend their discretionary income on luxuries such as restaurant meals, hotel rooms and vacations is dependent, to some degree, on their financial situation.

Unemployment, currently at 8.3 percent, is predicted to continue its downward trend. As more Americans re-enter the workforce, their discretionary spending will increase. This, in turn, should lead to a need for increased hiring for cruise ships, restaurants, casinos, hotels, country clubs, catering companies and other hospitality-related businesses.

If you’re looking for a job in the hotel industry, 2012 could be your year. The hiring freeze instituted by some hotels the past four years is thawing. Hotels across the nation are expected to hire additional hourly staff in 2012. In fact, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the lodging industry has already seen an increase of about 50,000 jobs since 2009.

We can expect to see increased hiring in the restaurant industry as well. According to a National Restaurant Association News Release, 55 percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months. This is the largest percentage of restaurateurs planning capital expenditures in more than four years. Expansions increase the need for new staff.

In a nationwide survey of hiring managers across all industries conducted by Harris Interactive, 23 percent planned to hire full-time, permanent employees in 2012. These survey results are supported by a recent Businessweek article, in which economists predict that 2012 will bring the creation of the most new jobs since 2006, shortly before the economy began to decline. The outlook for the hospitality industry is particularly favorable.

According to a recent ManpowerGroup survey, employers in the leisure and hospitality industry sector expect to increase their workforces by an average of 14 percent during the first quarter of 2012 alone. In fact, the hiring has already begun within the travel industry. According to the U.S. Travel Association, the travel and tourism industry has gained 224,000 new jobs since December 2009.

Hcareers.com has seen an even larger increase in the number of hospitality job postings on our website. Hospitality employers posted 35% more jobs on the website in 2011 than they did in 2010 and we’re already seeing this upward trend continue into 2012.

PKF Hospitality Research predicts that employment in the accommodations segment of the lodging industry can expect an average increase of 25,000 jobs in 2012. They also predict that demand for new workers will be highest in cities where new hotel rooms are being added, such as New York City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Tucson and Fort Lauderdale.

What does this mean for you? If you’re looking for a job in the hospitality industry, whether it’s in restaurants, catering and conventions, hotels, cruise ships or other hospitality fields, your employment prospects should become increasingly plentiful as 2012 progresses.

About the Author

Angela Rose researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues for Hcareers.com.