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Thu, 02 Jul 2026

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 World Cup boom falters as US hospitality jobs fall in June

There had been early signs of a jobs boom from the tournament, but hospitality jobs declined in June.

* Employment in US restaurants, bars and hotels declined by 61,000 jobs in June.
* Analysts had expected the World Cup to boost leisure and hospitality jobs by around 40,000.
* The decline was a surprise given reports of busy bars and venues due to traveling football fans.
* Overall employment in the US rose by 57,000 in June, lower than expected.
* The unemployment rate dipped slightly to 4.2%.
* Economists say the slowdown in jobs growth makes an interest rate hike later this month less likely.
* The figures suggest a "Goldilocks scenario" for the US economy, with stable but not strong growth.