Host Cities' Labor Market Reactions to the Super Bowl

Abstract

The Super Bowl, one of America’s major sporting events, is the pinnacle of football showcasing. However, the game not only impacts sport fanatics, but also host cities and their economies. In fact, the event has cities scrambling to the host application. As a result of an abnormal influx of visitors, there are multiple guidelines relating to adequate existing infrastructure for a successful venue. Other than the overall view of the city, its economy is also shifted to deal with more people. Local businesses for example, offer more job openings in preparation for handling larger customer amounts. The purpose of this study is to examine the change in employment for past host cities, as well as the longevity of the changes. 

Change in employment will be measured using the metrics of population, labor force, number of employed and unemployed people, and the unemployment rate. The population of a host city will be measured two years prior to the Super Bowl, the year of the Super Bowl, and two years after the Super Bowl. The other three metrics will be measured six months before the Super Bowl, the month of the Super Bowl, and six months after the Super Bowl. Thirteen host cities, starting in 2010 up to 2022, will be analyzed. The datasets will be from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, HomeFacts, and PopulationU. 

The results display a tremendous reaction in the labor market as a result of the Super Bowl hosting. Each city experienced a different degree of employment change, however the time period and longevity of these changes were relatively similar. From the results, further studies can predict the degree of employment change based on certain city factors.