Foodservice employment still lagging pre-pandemic levels
The COVID-19 pandemic depressed foodservice sales and employment for much of 2020.
While conditions are improving, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that June employment in the leisure and hospitality sector remains well off pre-pandemic marks in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia.
Maryland leisure and hospitality employment in June was 223,900 workers, according to BLS, less than 1% ahead of May, 37.5% above June 2020 but still 22% below the pre-pandemic peak of 284,400 workers in January 2020.
Maryland’s unemployment rate in June was 6.2%, up marginally from May but 28% below the 8.6% rate in June 2020.
In the District of Columbia, BLS reported leisure and hospitality employment totaled 48,600 workers in June, up 11.7% from May and up 39% from June 202,0 but still 41% off the pre-pandemic peak of 82,500 workers in January 2020.
The unemployment rate for the District of Columbia in June was 7%, a 3% decline compared with May, 21% lower than the 8.9% rate in June 2020 and 37% lower than the peak unemployment rate of 11.1% in April 2020.
Virginia’s leisure and hospitality employment was 330,400 workers in June, a 1% decline from May, 26% higher than the June 2020 level of 263,200 workers, but still 22% lower than the pre-pandemic peak of 421,600 workers in February 2020.
Virginia’s unemployment rate for June was just 4.3%, 4% lower than May, 51% lower than the June 2020 figure of 8.8% and 62% lower than the April 2020 unemployment rate of 11.3%.
Quick Facts: National Restaurant Association
District of Columbia
- Eating and drinking places in 2018: 2,457
- Restaurant and foodservice jobs: 65,200
- Estimated restaurant sales in 2018: $4.4 billion
Maryland
- Eating and drinking places in 2018: 11,357
- Restaurant and foodservice jobs: 259,000
- Estimated restaurant sales in 2018: $3.3 billion
Virginia
- Eating and drinking places in 2018: 15,507
- Restaurant and foodservice sales: 378,600
- Estimated restaurant sales in 2018: $18.1 billion
