Food Service Industry Building Back Jobs
In the midst of supply chain issues, inflation, labor shortage and other business challenges, the food service industry offers a glimmer of positivity: food service has added more than 124,000 U.S. jobs as the jobless rate finally slips, down to 3.8% in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Restaurant industry job growth settled into a remarkably consistent trend in recent months,” Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN) quoted Bruce Grindy, chief economist for the National Restaurant Association , from his latest analysis for the National Restaurant Association.
The NRN post went on to say, “Leisure and hospitality positions provided more than a quarter of the job growth in February, a month in which total non-farm payroll employment rose by 678,000.”
For an industry hard-hit these last several years due to pandemic-related restrictions, it is exciting to see that, not only is it bouncing back, but it is also leading the charge to infuse our economy with energy and growth.
Richard Weil, owner and principal of National Restaurant Consultants further notes; “While labor shortages are still a concern, in recent weeks we have seen and heard from operators across the country that the labor pool is improving. When interviewing new candidates, listen to your current staff members and ask positive, open-ended questions, differentiating your restaurant from others. This is a great way to retain staff.”
Now is the time for careful hiring at your restaurant—curate a team that will be committed to this wave of growth as the food service and hospitality industries return to pre-pandemic standards. Our restaurant consultants are experts in hiring qualified team members for your establishment.