Foodservice industry adds 490,000 jobs this summer

According to the National Restaurant Association’s 19th Annual Eating and Drinking Place Summer Employment Forecast, foodservice establishments will add nearly half a million jobs this season.

Summer is the busiest season for many in the foodservice industry, including bakeries and bakery cafes. The influx of customers driven to make purchases during the warmer weather means that businesses need to prepare with extra summer help. The additional employment opportunities provided greatly helps a variety of people looking for work during the busy summer months.

With the good news comes some bad news, however. According to the NRA’s forecast, this season will be less successful than in previous years. The 490,000 jobs provided for the 2017 summer is a drop-off from last year’s total of 494,200, which is itself a steep decline from 2015’s total of 555,300.

The answer to why this year’s total is lower than normal is due to the fact that labor costs have risen in many areas of the country. The labor market is relatively tight, so many retailers are looking for ways to cut costs, including lower staff totals.

Certain states will see much higher totals than others, due to population sizes and tourism numbers. The top ten states for summer foodservice employment according to the NRA:

1. New York – 44,300
2. California – 40,500
3. Massachusetts – 29,300
4. Texas – 29,200
5. New Jersey – 26,200
6. Ohio – 23,300
7. Illinois – 20,200
8. Michigan – 19,900
9. North Carolina – 19,200
10. Maryland – 18,300

The states that are expect to see the largest proportional employment increase during the 2017 summer season are Maine (31.4 percent increase), Alaska (18.8 percent increase), Delaware (17.1 percent increase), Rhode Island (14.9 percent increase), and New Hampshire (13.1 percent increase).