New, Young & Foreign Workers in Hospitality Stats and Facts

FACTS

New, young, and foreign workers in the hospitality industry in the USA and Canada face various workplace hazards. Here are some facts related to the challenges and risks these workers encounter:

  1. Increased Injury Risk: These workers are more likely to experience workplace injuries due to limited experience and lack of training.
  2. Insufficient Safety Training: There’s often an oversight in providing comprehensive safety training to new, young, and foreign workers, increasing their vulnerability to accidents.
  3. Communication Barriers: Language differences can hinder foreign workers’ understanding of safety procedures and emergency instructions, elevating their risk of harm.
  4. Exploitation Vulnerability: These groups may be assigned hazardous tasks without appropriate safety measures and might not be fully aware of their rights, making them susceptible to exploitation.
  5. Physical Hazards Exposure: New, young, and foreign workers face significant risks from slips, trips, falls, and misuse of equipment due to unfamiliarity with the workplace.
  6. Chemical Hazards: Lack of proper training in handling cleaning chemicals and PPE use can disproportionately affect these workers, exposing them to harmful substances.
  7. Psychosocial Hazards: They are more likely to encounter bullying, harassment, and violence, impacting their mental health and safety at work.
  8. Regulatory Unfamiliarity: Foreign workers might not be aware of local safety regulations, hindering their ability to advocate for a safe working environment.

STATS

  • The hotel industry employs about 50,000 workers in resorts, accommodation hotels and pubs. Over 50 per cent of workers employed in the industry are young workers (aged under 25 years). Between 60-70% of the total workforce are employed on a casual basis.
  • In many countries, including the USA and Canada, young workers (typically defined as those aged 15-24) represent a significant portion of the workforce in the hospitality industry, suggesting that any industry-wide injury statistics are likely to be particularly relevant to this group.
  • In 2021, there were about 18.9 million workers under the age of 25, representing 12.4% of the total workforce.1 Young workers have high rates of job-related injuries. These injuries are often the result of the many hazards present in the places they typically work, such as retail spaces or restaurants.