Research
September 04, 2026
Total restaurant industry jobs
Restaurants added nearly 60k jobs in August
Eating and drinking places added a net 59,200 jobs in August on a seasonally-adjusted basis, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That represented the largest single-month employment increase since January 2023, when the industry added 76,000 jobs.
The solid August increase followed declines in both June and July – a period during which the industry lost more than 17,000 jobs.
While the month-to-month changes have been uneven and subject to sizable revisions, the latest data suggest that the restaurant industry remains in a period of moderate payroll expansion. Eating and drinking places added 83,500 jobs during the first eight months of 2026, with employment up nearly 182,000 from year-ago levels.
In the months ahead, the expectation is that restaurant operators will continue to balance staffing levels with business conditions. With customer traffic levels remaining uneven, most operators will likely be cautious with their hiring decisions.
The recent uptick in job growth pushed the size of the restaurant workforce further above pre-pandemic levels. As of August 2026, eating and drinking place employment was nearly 142,000 jobs (or 1.2%) above its February 2020 level.
Fullservice segment remains more than 200k jobs below pre-pandemic levels
The fullservice segment lost nearly 3.7 million jobs during the first two months of the pandemic, and it has yet to fully recover. As of July 2026, fullservice restaurant employment was still 203,000 jobs (or 3.6%) below pre-pandemic readings.
However, fullservice restaurants expanded payrolls at a stronger pace in recent months, after lagging behind for much of the post-pandemic expansion. The fullservice segment added a net 69,000 jobs during the last 12 months. In comparison, the three limited-service segments added a combined 70,000 jobs during that same period.
Despite the slower growth in recent months, limited-service employment levels stand well above their pre-pandemic readings. As of July 2026, employment at snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars – including coffee, donut and ice cream shops – was 223,000 jobs (or 28%) above February 2020 levels.
Employee counts at quickservice and fast casual restaurants were 70,000 jobs (or 1.5%) above pre-pandemic levels.
[Note that the segment-level employment figures are lagged by one month, so July 2026 is the most current data available.]
Restaurant job growth uneven across states
More than 6 years after the onset of the pandemic in the U.S., restaurant staffing levels remain below pre-pandemic readings in 16 states and the District of Columbia.
That group was led by Vermont and the District of Columbia, which had 8% fewer eating and drinking place jobs in the first quarter of 2026 than they did in the first quarter of 2019. Massachusetts (-6%), West Virginia (-5%) and Maryland (-5%) were also well below their pre-pandemic restaurant employment levels.
In contrast, restaurant employment in several of the mountain states has climbed well beyond pre-pandemic levels. This group is led by Utah (+15%), Nevada (+15%) and Idaho (+13%).
[Note that the state-level analysis uses 2019 as the pre-pandemic comparison instead of February 2020, because seasonally-adjusted employment figures are not available for every state.]
View the latest employment data for every state.
Note: Eating and drinking places are the primary component of the total restaurant and foodservice industry, providing jobs for roughly 80% of the total restaurant and foodservice workforce of more than 15.7 million.
Track more economic indicators and read more analysis and commentary from the Association's economists.
The solid August increase followed declines in both June and July – a period during which the industry lost more than 17,000 jobs.
While the month-to-month changes have been uneven and subject to sizable revisions, the latest data suggest that the restaurant industry remains in a period of moderate payroll expansion. Eating and drinking places added 83,500 jobs during the first eight months of 2026, with employment up nearly 182,000 from year-ago levels.
In the months ahead, the expectation is that restaurant operators will continue to balance staffing levels with business conditions. With customer traffic levels remaining uneven, most operators will likely be cautious with their hiring decisions.
The recent uptick in job growth pushed the size of the restaurant workforce further above pre-pandemic levels. As of August 2026, eating and drinking place employment was nearly 142,000 jobs (or 1.2%) above its February 2020 level.
Fullservice segment remains more than 200k jobs below pre-pandemic levels
The fullservice segment lost nearly 3.7 million jobs during the first two months of the pandemic, and it has yet to fully recover. As of July 2026, fullservice restaurant employment was still 203,000 jobs (or 3.6%) below pre-pandemic readings.
However, fullservice restaurants expanded payrolls at a stronger pace in recent months, after lagging behind for much of the post-pandemic expansion. The fullservice segment added a net 69,000 jobs during the last 12 months. In comparison, the three limited-service segments added a combined 70,000 jobs during that same period.
Despite the slower growth in recent months, limited-service employment levels stand well above their pre-pandemic readings. As of July 2026, employment at snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars – including coffee, donut and ice cream shops – was 223,000 jobs (or 28%) above February 2020 levels.
Employee counts at quickservice and fast casual restaurants were 70,000 jobs (or 1.5%) above pre-pandemic levels.
[Note that the segment-level employment figures are lagged by one month, so July 2026 is the most current data available.]
Restaurant job growth uneven across states
More than 6 years after the onset of the pandemic in the U.S., restaurant staffing levels remain below pre-pandemic readings in 16 states and the District of Columbia.
That group was led by Vermont and the District of Columbia, which had 8% fewer eating and drinking place jobs in the first quarter of 2026 than they did in the first quarter of 2019. Massachusetts (-6%), West Virginia (-5%) and Maryland (-5%) were also well below their pre-pandemic restaurant employment levels.
In contrast, restaurant employment in several of the mountain states has climbed well beyond pre-pandemic levels. This group is led by Utah (+15%), Nevada (+15%) and Idaho (+13%).
[Note that the state-level analysis uses 2019 as the pre-pandemic comparison instead of February 2020, because seasonally-adjusted employment figures are not available for every state.]
View the latest employment data for every state.
Note: Eating and drinking places are the primary component of the total restaurant and foodservice industry, providing jobs for roughly 80% of the total restaurant and foodservice workforce of more than 15.7 million.
Track more economic indicators and read more analysis and commentary from the Association's economists.