Analysis and Commentary

All 50 states and DC added restaurant jobs in June, but staffing levels remained dampened in nearly every state.

Consumers ramped up their restaurant spending during the first half of 2021.

Average wholesale food prices were nearly 10% above their year-ago level in June – the strongest 12-month increase since 2011.

Restaurant employment continued to rise in June, but the industry was only able to fill a fraction of the available job openings.

Only 4 states – Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota – have seen restaurant employment return to pre-pandemic levels.

A new survey indicates consumers have yet to get their fill of restaurants, which means the positive sales trajectory has more room to run.

Eating and drinking places are still 1.5 million jobs below pre-pandemic staffing levels.

While the restaurant industry is expected to expand payrolls this summer, it will likely be a mix of both coronavirus recovery and seasonal jobs.

The District of Columbia, Vermont, New York and Hawaii have the largest deficits from their pre-coronavirus employment levels.

While the impact of stimulus checks will fade in the coming months, economic fundamentals remain conducive for continued spending growth.

More than 8 in 10 restaurant operators say their staffing levels are lower than what they would normally be in the absence of COVID-19.

Despite the broad-based gains, restaurant employment remains below pre-pandemic levels in every state.

Warmer weather and additional stimulus payments bolstered consumer spending in restaurants.

Despite the recent gains, eating and drinking places are still 1.8 million jobs below their pre-pandemic employment level.

While 43 states and DC saw gains in February, restaurant employment remains below pre-pandemic levels across the nation.

Even though the economy is projected to grow at a rate not seen in nearly four decades, it is not yet time to sound the all-clear.

More people are using restaurants for off-premises foodservice options, but on-premises patronage is still well below pre-pandemic levels.

The vast majority of consumers favor allowing restaurants to expand outdoor seating on a permanent basis.

The shortfall in restaurant and foodservice sales totaled $270 billion during the first 12 months of the pandemic.

Restaurant employment remains below pre-pandemic levels in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The shortfall in restaurant employment from pre-pandemic levels is nearly three times larger than the next closest industry.

Six in 10 operators think it will be at least 7 months before business conditions return to normal for their restaurant.

While many restaurants saw off-premises sales rise during the pandemic, it wasn’t enough to make up for their lost on-premises business.

January’s gain was a step in the right direction, but monthly sales remain nearly $11 billion below their pre-coronavirus levels.

This increases the likelihood that the restaurant industry’s employment recovery will be measured in years and not months.

Vermont, Michigan and Minnesota have the largest deficits from their pre-coronavirus employment levels.

While the national economy is projected to register healthy growth in 2021, the labor market isn’t expected to fully recover until 2022.

Restaurant sales declined for the third consecutive month in December, with total industry sales losses reaching $240 billion in 2020.

Eating and drinking places finished 2020 nearly 2.5 million jobs (or 20%) below their pre-coronavirus employment level.

The percent of restaurant sales coming from travelers and visitors is less than half of what it was before COVID-19.

Restaurant employment in 47 states and the District of Columbia remained below February’s pre-coronavirus level.

Restaurant sales plunged 4% in November, and a majority of operators expect business conditions to worsen during the winter months.

As business conditions continue to deteriorate, the likelihood of additional restaurant staffing reductions is rising.

Hawaii, Vermont and the District of Columbia have the largest deficits from their pre-coronavirus employment levels.

Restaurant sales declined for the first time since the spring lockdowns, with total pandemic losses reaching $215 billion through October.

Restaurants added jobs for the sixth consecutive month in October, but industry employment remained 2.1 million below pre-coronavirus levels.

Consumers increased their usage of takeout and delivery during the pandemic, and this trend will likely continue during the winter months.

Winter is coming – but it may not lead to a decline in on-premises dining, according to new Association research.

Restaurant employment in 47 states and the District of Columbia remained below February’s pre-coronavirus level.

The total shortfall in restaurant and foodservice sales topped $200 billion during the first seven months of the pandemic.

After an initial hiring surge in the aftermath of the coronavirus lockdowns, restaurant job growth slowed significantly in recent months.

Five states – South Dakota, Maine, Indiana, Idaho and Mississippi – surpassed their pre-coronavirus restaurant employment peaks.

Seven in 10 operators say off-premises sales represent a higher proportion of their total business compared to pre-coronavirus levels.

As total restaurant sales losses topped $185 billion, a majority of operators do not expect their business to fully recover within 6 months.

The restaurant industry added just 133,600 jobs in August, and staffing levels remain nearly 2.5 million jobs below the pre-coronavirus peak.

Four states – Texas, Arizona, Florida and Oklahoma – lost eating and drinking place jobs in July.

A majority of U.S. adults say they know of a restaurant in their community that has permanently closed during the coronavirus outbreak.

The total shortfall in restaurant and foodservice sales surpassed $165 billion during the first five months of the pandemic.

Restaurant job growth is expected to be choppy in the months ahead, following the initial bounce of 3 million jobs in May and June.

The total shortfall in restaurant and foodservice sales reached an estimated $145 billion during the first four months of the pandemic.

The impressive two-month employment bounce only marks the beginning of a long climb back to pre-coronavirus staffing levels.

While the May job growth is a positive sign, it only marks the beginning of a painfully long road to recovery for the restaurant industry.

The total shortfall in restaurant and foodservice sales likely surpassed $120 billion during the first three months of the pandemic.

Although restaurants added 1.4 million jobs in May, their staffing levels remain down more than any other industry.

Sales, employment and capital spending levels are expected to remain dampened through the end of the year.

Many of the half-million seasonal restaurant jobs will not exist this summer, which will limit opportunities for first-time job seekers.

Adjusting for inflation, consumer spending at eating and drinking places plunged to its lowest level since October 1984.

Restaurants have lost nearly three times more jobs than any other industry since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.

New survey indicates that pent-up demand for restaurants is elevated, even as many consumers maintain their off-premises frequency.

New survey assesses the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the restaurant industry.

While it doesn’t come close to making up for sales losses, a majority of consumers are maintaining their off-premises usage of restaurants.

The March employment report was the not-so-calm before the storm.

Nearly half of restaurant job openings in 2019 were filled by either first-time workers or promotions.  

The restaurant industry is adding middle-class jobs at a faster pace than the overall economy.

The longest economic expansion on record will continue in 2020, albeit at a somewhat slower pace, according to Association projections.

Seattle and Washington, DC lead the major metropolitan areas in restaurant spending per capita.

Household expenditures at restaurants rose faster than most other spending categories during the last 5 years, led by consumers in the West.

Labor force growth will be dominated by older adults during the next decade, which will have implications for the restaurant workforce.

One-half of baby boomers want to use takeout and delivery more often.

Six in 10 millennials give the economy negative marks.

The number of households with income above $100,000 jumped 29 percent during the last seven years.

Competition for employees in the restaurant industry remains intense, despite recent decline in job openings.

Consumers are expected to remain in a relatively good financial position, which is positive for restaurants.  

Rising gas prices haven’t crowded out restaurant spending thus far in 2019. 

The restaurant industry added more than 10,000 locations for the third consecutive year. 

Although restaurants will add more than a half-million jobs for the seventh consecutive summer, hiring will be somewhat curtailed in 2019.

Teen restaurant employment is at its highest level since 2007, but long-term projections suggest a downward trend. 

Older adults were the fastest-growing cohort of restaurant employees in recent years.

Millennials are particularly downbeat about their personal economies.  

Four in 10 adults say they are not eating at restaurants as often as they would like.

Nearly half of restaurant job openings in 2018 were filled by either first-time workers or promotions.

The restaurant industry continues to add middle-class jobs at a much stronger rate than the overall economy.

The turnover rate in the restaurants-and-accommodations sector rose to a post-recession high of 74.9 percent in 2018.