ASHEVILLE - High rent, low wages, little-to-no paid time off, no sick leave and unfair work hours. These are just some of the concerns expressed by Asheville's service workers in the 2024 Hospitality Worker Survey conducted by UNC Asheville and Just Economics of Western North Carolina.
During the May 13 survey release, Miranda Escalante, a bartender who has worked in the service industry in the area for 17 years, said that many do not understand the challenges workers face in the local hospitality industry.
"I feel like we carry this tourism industry and hospitality industry on our backs and that there are a lot of employers out there that don't take care of the people," Escalante said during the May 13 discussion of the study.
More than 85% of the hospitality workers surveyed said they have gone to work sick, and less than 24% report getting sick pay. Over 36% responded that they worked more than 40 hours a week, with others reported working multiple jobs to make a living wage.
Of those who responded to the Just Economics survey, 37.5% were paid below $18 an hour — well below the Just Economics estimate of $22.10 an hour living wage for the region.
As cost-of-living in the region increases and the tourism industry continues to grow, workers are “looking to see change in Asheville,” Escalante said.
The Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Region, which includes Henderson and Madison counties, faces the highest fair market rent in North Carolina in every housing metric set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD estimates it costs $1,428 for a one-bedroom apartment in the region.
'No good reason' for worker wages to be low
UNC Asheville Professor of Health and Wellness Ameena Batata said the survey was taken over the course of a year, including an online survey and discussion groups that guided the final study. Researchers promoted the online survey from mid-September to early December 2023, and then held two group discussions with hospitality workers in February 2024.
Even though the survey had just 188 participants who were predominantly white and English-speaking, Batata maintained the result was "extremely varied and rich," noting the length and detail of responses. Batata said they don't expect the survey to be a fully "representative sample of people who work in the hospitality industry."
The report indicates that only around 63% of service workers make a living wage in Asheville, with some earning a living through two to three jobs.
In 2024, the Asheville Metropolitan Statistical Region, which includes Henderson and Madison counties, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported the region faces the highest fair market rent in North Carolina. HUD estimates it costs $1,428 for a one-bedroom apartment in the region, higher than Raleigh and just behind Atlanta.
During the May 13 discussion of the survey, co-director for the Workers' Rights Project at the North Carolina Justice Center Ana Pardo, said there was "no good reason" for the service industry to have lower paying jobs, requiring many to hold second jobs.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests the median could be lower for the industry, reporting in May 2023 that food preparation and serving related occupations receive $13.81 an hour for an estimated annual mean wage of $31,400, the lowest median income in Asheville.
Just Economics Housing and Wages Coordinator Jen Hampton said further solutions, and higher pay for employees, would likely benefit the industry in the region.
"We hope that the survey helps employers understand what practices and employee policies might help their workers," Hampton said. "Because if their workers are happy, they provide better service that only helps the business and keeps the economy going."
Hampton currently serves as chair of Asheville Food and Beverage United, an Asheville-based service worker union that gained union certification in Fall 2023.
Just Economics says local policy needs to go further
For the past several years, Just Economics has worked to bring solutions to Asheville's service industry, growing their living wage certification program to now over 453 employers in Asheville. Just Economics Executive Director Vicki Meath said it is "the largest voluntary living wage certification program in the country."
Companies that are "living wage pledged" through Just Economics pay $19 an hour with a commitment to raise wages 3% plus inflation until the living wage for that year is met, according to the Just Economics website.
As Just Economics' voluntary living wage program grows, some local progress — like Buncombe County's affordable parking program — has been made, Meath said during a May 13 discussion of the survey. At the same time, city firefighters and the region's teachers continue to push for higher wages.
Despite many companies in the community opting into the living wage program, "many hospitality industry employers have not," Meath said.
"We still have a lot of work to do in the local policy arena. We need the city and county to continue to lead by example," Meath said, pointing to recent paid family leave programs as a positive step.
The full report on Just Economics 2024 Hospitality Worker Survey can be read at https://bit.ly/3ym0I4v.
Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.
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