- OysterLink: Hospitality hiring rising earlier ahead of the World Cup.
- Hiring is concentrated in tourism, events and guest service roles.
- Philadelphia leads host markets, with postings up 83 percent.
HOSPITALITY EMPLOYERS IN World Cup host cities are hiring earlier ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to OysterLink. Postings in the 11 U.S. host metros rose 30.3 percent in May versus the January–April average, while non-host markets fell 23.8 percent.
Philadelphia led hospitality hiring among host markets, with postings rising 83 percent above the January–April monthly average, the report said. Boston rose 61 percent and Atlanta 55 percent. Houston and Dallas–Fort Worth also recorded gains as hotels, restaurants and event operators increased hiring.
Hiring is concentrated in tourism, events and guest service roles. Hotel managers, event coordinators, valets, delivery drivers and front-of-house restaurant staff, including bartenders, servers and hosts, show the largest increases across host markets.
“The fact that host city hiring is rising while many other markets are slowing tells a bigger story,” said Milos Eric, OysterLink’s general manager. “Hotels, restaurants and event operators expect demand to ramp up before the first match begins.”
The contrast between host and non-host markets suggests World Cup-related activity is already affecting regional labor demand, OysterLink said. New York/New Jersey, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area also posted gains in hospitality hiring in May as businesses expanded staffing.
New York/New Jersey, which will host eight matches at MetLife Stadium, including the final on July 19, recorded a 23 percent increase in job postings. New Jersey towns with the largest hospitality growth include Ramsey, New Providence, Fort Lee and Hoboken.
Across host metros, hiring rose in most markets in May 2026 versus the January–April average: Philadelphia up 83 percent, Boston 61 percent, Atlanta 55 percent, Houston 54 percent, Dallas–Fort Worth 40 percent, Seattle 32 percent, New York/New Jersey 23 percent, San Francisco Bay Area 22 percent and Los Angeles 19 percent. Miami fell 8 percent and Kansas City fell 11 percent.
A recent Navan study said global companies are increasing business travel bookings to 2026 World Cup host cities, with hotel and flight bookings to the U.S. up 46 percent. Canada leads corporate travel, with bookings up 295 percent year over year and flight prices down 26 percent.
