Restaurant Industry Adding Jobs Faster than Overall Employment Sector

It has been reported by the National Restaurant Association that restaurants have added over 560,000 jobs since the start of the economic recovery. Over 200,000 of those jobs were created within the past six months. The restaurant industry has over 13 million employees, making it the country’s second-largest private sector employer. The 13 million jobs account for close to 10 percent of the country’s entire workforce.

“The restaurant industry strongly contributes to the health of our nation’s economy by driving job growth across industry segments, and providing rewarding career and employment opportunities for millions,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Whether in the kitchen or the corporate office, restaurants offer a variety of career paths, including one toward the American Dream of entrepreneurship and owning your own business.”

There were more than 100,000 jobs added in the restaurant industry in two consecutive quarters. This is the first time such an increase in jobs occurred on record, according to the National Restaurant Association’s analysis of data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There were 103,100 jobs added in the first quarter of 2012 after 101,400 jobs were added in the fourth quarter of 2011. There have been 562,600 jobs added in the restaurant industry since the economic recovery began back in March of 2010. The addition of those jobs brought staffing levels to 180,000 more than the levels prior to the recession.

Employment within the restaurant industry increased by 3.2 percent over the past 12 months, which ended in March of 2012. This rate was more than double the 1.5 percent increase in employment across the United States for the same 12 months. The year 2012 marks the 13^th straight year that growth within the restaurant industry outpaced overall employment growth within the United States.

It has been found that 24 percent of restaurant operators are planning to increase their staff levels within six months compared to the same time frame last year. In the same light, only seven percent of operators are planning to reduce their staff levels over the next six months. All other operators believe that their staff levels will not change. It has been projected that close to 1.4 million positions will be added within the industry over the next ten years, upping staffing levels to 14.3 million employees.

“Restaurants are the cornerstone of career and entrepreneurship opportunities,” Sweeney said. “Our industry prides itself on providing these opportunities to individuals of all backgrounds, plus ample opportunity for career advancement. Many of today’s industry leaders were yesterday’s hourly employees getting the first taste of their career on the front lines of food preparation and service.”