Many people understand the benefits of regular massage, and massage is increasingly incorporated into health care environments.
Spa marries these two concepts — massage as preventive health care — and offers a plethora of employment opportunities to massage therapists.
But there’s a problem: Spas are in dire need of qualified massage therapists. There are an estimated 38,000 unfilled service provider positions, of which 18,400 are full-time and 19,600 part-time positions. Massage therapists account for the largest number of unfilled positions that spas are currently trying to fill, a total of 19,150, representing almost 50% of all unfilled positions.
The 2018 ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study showed that 40% of spa employers have an issue with hiring qualified, experienced, passionate professionals. The availability of professionals is not matching the growth of the demand in the industry. Specifically, shortages are reported for massage therapists. (ISPA’s 2019 survey also collected information on employment-related issues, including unstaffed positions; however, those results were provided only to survey respondents.)
“The shortage is at a critical level in our industry. We need well-trained therapists who want to stay in the industry,” said Allan Share, president of the Spa Industry Association.
Spa-Going Statistics
One way the public experiences massage is while on vacation at spas and health resorts. The spa industry has grown and continues to grow as the health benefits of spa-going are better understood.
Statistics from the International Spa Association (ISPA) show the public increasingly going to spas for their personal well-being. The ISPA 2018 Spa Industry Study reported that total spa revenues for 2017 were estimated at $17.5 billion, increased from $16.8 billion the previous year. The total number of visits to spa establishments is estimated to have risen from 184 million in 2016 to 187 million in 2017.
Most people who visit spas purchase massage services (67%), followed by skin care (35%) and nail services (30%), according to ISPA’s Consumer Snapshot Vol. 1X, released this year.
