Though the number of jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry hovers “below pre-pandemic February 2020 levels by 402,000 jobs, or 2.4%,” reports Nation’s Restaurant News (NRN), the industry remains a major part of overall economic and job growth across the United States.
“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, released the [first week of May], the unemployment rate was 3.4% in April, versus 3.5% in March, as U.S. employers added 253,000 jobs during the month – far outpacing the expected 185,000. Employment in leisure and hospitality continued to trend up in April, with 31,000 jobs added, most of which came from food services (sic) and drinking establishments, with 25,000 added. April marked the 28th consecutive month of employment gains in the restaurant industry,” states this NRN article.
Though it may be frustrating to continue moving forward through a labor shortage, it is important to adjust perspective to optimism by recognizing growth, and that our industry has played a major part in that. “Many restaurants are noting that their labor candidates have improved in the past several months,” says Richard Weil, principal and owner of National Restaurant Consultants.
Many industry leaders believe that while growth is slow and businesses are still recovering from the pandemic, they are also seeing different, more sustainable growth. “Greg Levin, BJ’s Restaurants CEO, said the chain has been more efficient and effective in taking care of its guests ‘because of the maturity of our team members and being staffed up,’ shares NRN. And according to the same article, Chipotle and McDonald’s are crediting Q1 growth to high-quality hires within their franchises.
At National Restaurant Consultants, we believe in making smart hires, followed up with solid, careful training so that employees are set up for success within your company. While it is challenging to be understaffed, running your business with committed and capable employees makes a difference throughout the entire chain of command, and to both the employee and customer experience. “Two-way communications, creating a welcoming work environment, clarity of instruction— more than anything, this optimizes the value for staff.”
If your restaurant business is still facing staffing challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, our restaurant consultants can help. We immerse ourselves in the hiring process, seeking out the high-quality employees you need to grow your team and your business in a successful, sustainable way.