Foodservice rebounding, but staffing well below pre-pandemic levels

Restaurant employment rose for the fifth consecutive month in May, but staffing levels remain well below pre-pandemic levels, according to government figures.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that eating and drinking places added a net 186,000 jobs in May on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to a news release.

Over the past five months, the agency said eating and drinking places added a net 830,000 jobs. That is equivalent to the total number of restaurant jobs added in the 42 months prior to the pandemic, according to the BLS.

Despite the impressive employment gains from January through May, the report said the road to a complete recovery of foodservice employment remains long.

Eating and drinking places are still 1.5 million jobs – or 12% – below pre-pandemic employment levels, according to the agency.

The unemployment rate for workers at foodservice establishments peaked at 35.4% in April 2020, decreasing to 16.1% by December and 9% by May 2021.

While employment trended higher across each of the major restaurant segments in recent months, the release said total payroll counts remain below pre-pandemic levels.

Between April 2020 and April 2021 (the most recent period for segment-level data), full-service restaurants added nearly 2.8 million jobs. However, that still left the segment 750,000 jobs (or 14%) below pre-pandemic staffing levels, according to the release.

Employment in the limited-service segment is farther down the path toward a full recovery, the agency said. 
As of April 2021, the quick-service and fast-casual segments were down 143,000 jobs (or 3%) from pre-pandemic levels, according to the release.

April employment counts in the cafeterias/grill buffets/buffets segment (-58%), foodservice contractor segment (-37%), catering and mobile foodservice segment (-32%) and bars and taverns segment (-25%) are still significantly below pre-pandemic levels, according to the release.