US Casino Jobs recognized as a ‘Gateway to the Middle Class’

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statics, the unemployment rate in America was 4.9% in Feb 2016; the lowest it’s been since 2007. While that’s good news for the economy overall, it still leaves millions of Americans out of a job. According to a new report from Oxford Economics, those looking for work may want to consider employment in the US casino industry.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) and Get To Know Gaming (G2KG) published the expansive report, titled ‘Gaming Careers: Gateway To the Middle Class’. The information revealed that US casino jobs have a multitude of benefits, including vast opportunities, above average pay rates and the promotion of further education among employees.

The seminal report outlines “quality, range and skills associated with the more than 200 types of careers at hundreds of casinos across 40 states,” said G2KG, an organization powered by the AGA that promotes the value of gaming through US casino jobs, industry growth and community awareness.

The report touches on three key topics: Employment Opportunities, Further Education and Building Middle Class.

US Casinos Create Jobs and Opportunities

“Gaming offers a vast array of career paths for a diverse segment of the U.S. workforce,” reads the report. The Great Recession – which spurred the immense rise in unemployment in the US in 2008-09 – is finally recovering, and as such, the gaming industry “is poised for growth in the years ahead.”

The report projects that “more than 62,000 well-paying” US casino jobs will become available over the next 10 years.

The diversity of the industry’s workforce was also commended. “Forty-five percent of gaming’s workforce is comprised of minorities and nearly half (48%) are women – both higher than the national average,” the report found.

Gaming Industry Promotes Further Education

The reported noted that the US casino and gaming industry provides multiple benefits for employees, “such as tuition reimbursement and citizenship assistance”. In addition, companies encourage flexible work schedules to give employees opportunities to pursue higher education.

“An industry-wide commitment to employee development creates a culture of upward mobility while also providing the security and stability of well-paying jobs,” the report reads.

Contributing to Middle Class Workforce

There are more than 200 types of US casino jobs and other gaming opportunities available. The AGA and G2KG note that the industry “provides hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs to workers from diverse backgrounds with wide-ranging levels of job experience and areas of expertise.”

The majority of those jobs provide “salaries comparable to – or above – the national average”. Multiple organizations within the industry are dedicated to the growth of employee skills and responsibilities. Thus the report identified America’s gaming industry as “a gateway to the middle class.”

Where to Find US Casino Jobs

Walking into every gaming establishment in your area, asking if a position is available and requesting an application just isn’t the way US casino jobs are found in this day and age. Several portals, including CasinoCareers.com, offer a compiled list of all known employment opportunities in the casino and gaming field.

A single job search can be filtered by myriad classifications – everything from accounting and government relations, to slot machines and online gaming technicians, to transportation and child care services. Advanced searches allow for filtering of location (state/country) as well as participating gaming companies.