“It’s an old saying that if the economy sneezes, Vegas gets the flu,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer of the local Culinary Workers Union, which represents around 60,000 hotel, restaurant, casino and other workers. The region has been adding jobs at a lower clip than the country as a whole this year, according to the U.S. Labor Department. Pappageorge said hotel and casino job openings have become scarcer. He is worried about layoffs.
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California native Rory Kuykendall, 41, moved to Las Vegas 10 years ago and took a job at the Flamingo hotel and casino, first as a baggage handler, then as a graveyard-shift bellperson. The city was affordable then, and he earned enough to save, go on trips and buy the two-bedroom townhouse he shares with his wife and rescue dog. Tips are 25% to 70% of his income, depending on how busy the week is, he said.
Recently, his tip income has been “underwhelming,” he said. At the same time, grocery and car insurance costs are up, and Kuykendall said he’s going out less to save money.
“It really feels off,” he said.