Pulse Points
By russell donaldson
UNSTAFFED POSITIONS:
Maximizing Employment in the Spa Industry
Without going deeP into economic theory,
industries strive for ‘full employment.’ If there aren’t
enough people, demand won’t be met and the industry
won’t perform to its full potential. For some time, the spa
industry has seen a trend of unfilled vacancies—spas
actively seeking to recruit staff to help them meet their
demand. With the number of unstaffed positions in the spa
industry equating to approximately 10 percent of the
overall workforce, it is worth paying attention to where the
gaps are and why they exist.
In the ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study each year, ISPA
publishes a ‘compensation supplement,’ gathering data on
staffing, earnings and benefits. Total employment in the
spa industry in 2018 is estimated at 372,100, so it’s a strong
contributor to overall U.S. employment. However, the 2018
study also estimated that the industry has over 38,000
unstaffed positions across the U.S., with two thirds of
survey respondents reporting vacancies for service
providers specifically.
Unfilled positions are primarily caused by two things:
new job openings created by growth of a business and
people leaving to take new positions. The majority of
service provider vacancies (over 20,000) are for massage
therapists. In addition, an estimated 8,000 estheticians and
7,000 nail technicians could be recruited. The high number
of vacancies points to a strong level of demand for people
with the necessary skills and qualifications to work in spas
as service providers. Demand for directors and managers
exists too, with over 2,500 unstaffed positions estimated in
2018, showing that good development opportunities exist
for those currently working in the industry or for those keen
to pursue a career in spa management.
(CONTINUED ON PAgE 18)
Want to improve
retention? Arrive to the
ISPA Conference & Expo
a day early and attend the
Spa Workforce Super Session
on Tuesday, September 10.
Learn more about this
pre-Conference event
on page 44.
service providers
vacancies (2018)
spa management
massage
therapists estheticians nail
technicians directors managers
20,110 8,360 7,010 530 2,010
Hdata taken from the compensation supplement, published as part of ISPA’s 2018 U.S. Spa Industry Study, compiled by Pwc.
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PULSE
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jULy 2019