Outlook Bright for Restaurant Industry Job Seekers This Summer
Underscoring the restaurant industry's essential role in the U.S. economy, the nation's restaurants are projected to add 400,500 jobs during the 2004 summer season, according to National Restaurant Association projections. This forecast, which covers the months of June, July and August, represents a 4.7 percent increase over the March 2004 employment level.
"The restaurant industry is a great place to work-for a year or a career-and is the cornerstone of career and employment opportunities. Restaurants provide many new workers with valuable work experience and responsibilities, in addition to supplemental income during the busy travel and tourism season," said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the Association, whose first summer job was in a restaurant when he was in high school. "The restaurant industry is also an economic powerhouse that is expected to post sales of $440 billion this year and have an overall economic impact of $1.2 trillion. As the nation's largest private-sector employer, the industry is a key player in job creation throughout the year and has played an important role in the economic recovery."
The restaurant industry is the nation's second largest creator of seasonal jobs during the summer months-ranking only behind the construction industry-and the largest employer of youth during the season. Foodservice and drinking places added 365,300 jobs (a 4.4 percent increase) during the 2003 summer season, and 358,900 jobs (4.3 percent increase) during the 2002 summer season.
The states projected to add the most restaurant and bar jobs during the 2004 summer season are New York (29,300), California (27,000), Massachusetts (25,200) and New Jersey (20,700). The states projected to register the largest proportional employment increase during the 2004 summer season are Maine (33.3 percent increase) and Alaska (24.4 percent increase). Due to the fact that their busiest seasons for travel and tourism are not in the summer months, two states are projected to register declines in foodservice and drinking place employment during the 2004 summer season: Florida (-14,400) and Arizona (-4,900).
A table detailing the Association's 2004 Summer Employment Forecast by state is available on the Association's Web site, http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom.
The restaurant industry is the nation's second largest creator of seasonal jobs during the summer months-ranking only behind the construction industry-and the largest employer of youth during the season. Foodservice and drinking places added 365,300 jobs (a 4.4 percent increase) during the 2003 summer season, and 358,900 jobs (4.3 percent increase) during the 2002 summer season.
The states projected to add the most restaurant and bar jobs during the 2004 summer season are New York (29,300), California (27,000), Massachusetts (25,200) and New Jersey (20,700). The states projected to register the largest proportional employment increase during the 2004 summer season are Maine (33.3 percent increase) and Alaska (24.4 percent increase). Due to the fact that their busiest seasons for travel and tourism are not in the summer months, two states are projected to register declines in foodservice and drinking place employment during the 2004 summer season: Florida (-14,400) and Arizona (-4,900).
A table detailing the Association's 2004 Summer Employment Forecast by state is available on the Association's Web site, http://www.restaurant.org/pressroom.
