Flight attendants held about 97,000 jobs in 2006. Commercial airlines
employed the vast majority of flight attendants, most of whom lived in
their employer’s home-base city. A small number of flight attendants
worked for large companies that operated aircraft for business purposes.
Job Outlook
Competition for jobs is expected to remain keen because the opportunity for travel attracts more applicants than there are jobs.
Employment change. Employment of flight attendants is expected to grow 11 percent, about as fast as the average
for all occupations over the 2006-16 projection period. Population
growth and an improving economy are expected to boost the number of
airline passengers. As airlines expand their capacity to meet rising
demand by increasing the number and size of planes in operation, more
flight attendants will be needed.
Job prospects. Despite growing demand for flight attendants, competition is expected to be keen
because this job usually attracts more applicants than there are jobs,
with only the most qualified eventually being hired. College graduates
who have experience dealing with the public should have the best chance
of being hired. Job opportunities may be better with the faster growing
regional and commuter, low-cost, and charter airlines. There also are
job opportunities for professionally trained flight attendants to work
for companies operating private aircraft for their executives.
The majority of job opportunities through the year 2016 will arise
from the need to replace flight attendants who leave the labor force or
transfer to other occupations, often for higher earnings or a more
stable lifestyle. With the job now viewed increasingly as a profession,
however, fewer flight attendants leave their jobs, and job turnover is
not as high as in the past. The average job tenure of attendants is
currently more than 14 years and is increasing.
In the long run, opportunities for persons seeking flight attendant
jobs should improve as the airline industry expands. Over the next
decade, however, demand for flight attendants will fluctuate with the
demand for air travel, which is highly sensitive to swings in the
economy. During downturns, as air traffic declines, the hiring of
flight attendants declines, and some experienced attendants may be laid
off until traffic recovers.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Flight Attendants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos171.htm (visited January 11, 2009). Used by permission.
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