The leisure and hospitality industry added just 11,000 jobs in January, but the essential services sector recorded its 36th consecutive month of job growth. Post-pandemic, service companies have benefited from Americans’ strong desire to spend money on experiences.
With that demand still at an all-time high, one new Minneapolis bar and restaurant is feeling the effects.
Jillian Hickok is about a month away from opening A Bar of Their Own, which shows only women’s sporting events. The concept, inspired by sports bras in Portland, Oregon, has been gaining traction in the Twin Cities community since Hiscock conceived the idea last spring and ran a crowdfunding campaign to get it off the ground. It has received overwhelming support.
The same goes for recruiting, with Hiscock receiving 150 applications in two days for 25 to 30 open positions.
“Since things have improved, [following the pandemic]There are many people whose relationship with work has fundamentally changed,” she said. “People are less interested in just showing up and doing something for someone who feels like they don’t matter as a human being anymore, because we realize how quickly that can be taken away. Because everyone knows.”
People want a better balance between work and personal life, she said.
“People were really excited about this. They don’t just see this as another job, they see it as an opportunity to be a part of something bigger,” she said.