THE American Hotel & Lodging Association recently surveyed business and leisure travelers about their plans amid rising Covid-19 cases, and found that 67% of business travelers are planning to take fewer trips, with 52% likely to cancel existing travel plans.

HOW will this affect hospitality employers? During the pandemic, more than one in five hotel jobs were lost, with an additional 1.3 million hotel-supported jobs still at risk. With nearly three in four (72%) travelers visiting places within driving distance, there will no doubt be further strain put upon airlines and other transportation services that rely on business travelers year-round.

IN light of struggling industries looking to hire more talent, it’s important for employers to understand candidates’ expectations during the hiring process. Based on the findings of a Robert Half survey, 62% of professionals will lose interest in a job if they don’t hear back within two weeks of the initial interview.

BUT things are starting to look up. According to an analysis conducted by WalletHub, New Hampshire is the fifth-quickest state in the country when it comes to overall recovery from the effects of Covid-19. For the economy and labor market, New Hampshire is placed at No. 17, where such factors as consumer spending, weekly job postings and workplace mobility were compared between pre- Covid and current levels. Leisure and travel in the Granite State is ranked at No. 10, where average daily restaurant visits and number of seated diners were factored into New Hampshire’s score.

THE lumber industry has also been experiencing residual effects from the pandemic, with high lumber costs affecting homeowners’ ability to complete home improvement projects. Expertise.com recently polled 810 homeowners and found that 77% of home improvement projects started in 2021 went above the original budget due to high costs of lumber, which averaged 205% higher than previous years.