The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their Employment Situation report for July 2018 last week and estimated that 26,200 food service and drinking establishment jobs were added last month. So far, 203,000 jobs have been added by our industry in 2018 bringing the total number close to 12 million, nearly 10% the total of the 149 million jobs at the time of this writing.
As for the economy as a whole, 157,000 jobs were added last month, just missing expectations. A job is defined as “any job with the exception of farm work, unincorporated self-employment and employment by private households, nonprofit organizations and the military and intelligence agencies”. The rise in nonfarm jobs pushed unemployment in the United States down to 3.9 percent which should be promising for a healthy economy.
Drinking places, beverage alcohol
The years 2008 and 2012 saw impressive growth for jobs in drinking establishments. Since 2014, however, job growth has been significant. 2018 is no exception. A slight decrease in jobs occurred in February of this year, but this category has recovered and has grown each month since March.
Restaurants and other eating places
While 2008 through 2012 saw modest growth and fluctuations, 2013 saw comparatively explosive growth. Since then, growth has been steady. This trend is continuing, per the results of the most recent BLS report.
Full-service restaurants
Employment in full-service restaurants dipped slightly from February to March. However, data from the BLS shows that employment within this category has trended upward since April.
Limited-service restaurants
Since 2011, the limited-service restaurant category has experienced employment growth. This trend toward upward growth is continuing in 2018 with only a slight decrease from March to April. Jobs trended upward in May and has grown since then.
While some industry-specific reports have focused on a shrinking labor pool, BLS data shows that our industry has been adding jobs at a steady rate.
All information sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics report “The Employment Situation - - July 2018.” The Employment Situation for August is scheduled to be released on Friday, September 7, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).