Choice Hotels 2012 outlook bright, shares jump

* Growth seen in key revenue metric

* U.S. job gains aiding demand

* Shares up more than 6 pct

Feb 21 (Reuters) - Choice Hotels International said growth in a key revenue measure was not slowing down as it forecast higher-than-expected earnings for 2012, sending its shares up more than 6 percent.

"We believe recent employment gains in the U.S. bode well for leisure demand," Choice Chief Executive Steve Joyce said during a conference call on Tuesday.

The company, which caters mainly to mid-tier and economy- market segments, said growth in domestic revenue per available room was trending up in the high single-digit-percentage range for the current first quarter.

In the fourth quarter, systemwide revPAR rose 7.8 percent, helped by higher occupancy and average daily room rates.

Choice, which franchises hotels under brands such as Comfort Inn, Quality, Econo Lodge and Cambria Suites, topped estimates for fourth-quarter results late Monday and forecast profit for 2012 above current Wall Street estimates. The company said it expected selling, general and administrative costs to fall 14 percent this year due to streamlining.

Net income was $24.8 million, or 42 cents a diluted share, for the fourth period compared with $24.1 million, or 40 cents a share, a year earlier. Adjusted for items, profit was 46 cents a share, compared with 44 cents expected by analysts on average, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Fourth-quarter revenue rose 7 percent to $165.9 million.

Choice Hotels said it expects profit of at least 30 cents a share for the current first quarter and $1.99 to $2.04 a share for the full year. Analysts expected 28 cents for the first quarter and $1.92 for 2012.

Shares of Choice Hotels were up 6.2 percent to $37.80 in morning trading.