NRA survey: Restaurants will add 381,800 summer jobs
New York City A report in Nation’s Restaurant News on Monday said that the National Restaurant Association is predicting eating and drinking establishments will add 381,800 jobs between June and August, a 4.1% increase over the industry's employment levels in March.
The NRA's projection for employment growth this summer is the same as last summer's growth of 4.1% and slightly below the summer job growth of 4.8% in 2007, before the economic downturn began.
The rise in employment may also be an indicator of the beginning of an economic recovery for the industry, said Hudson Riehle, senior VP of the NRA’s research and knowledge group.
“While overall U.S. employment growth remains negative, the industry is bucking that trend as it added jobs in May for the first time in 10 months,” Riehle said. “Building on that gain, the growth in summer employment is a clear sign that the restaurant industry remains a powerhouse in the U.S. economy.”