Restaurants To Add More Than Half A Million Summer Seasonal Jobs For Third Straight Year

Low-wage restaurant jobs may be a current focus of the drive to raise the minimum wage in the U.S., but the summer vacation season has long been a source of seasonal employment for millions. Case in point: the National Restaurant Association forecasts that 522,000 seasonal jobs will be created for the summer season this year. The forecast was released June 8.

It will be the third straight year of seasonal foodservice job growth in excess of half a million, according to the association and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eating and drinking places added a record 551,200 summer jobs as the general economy began to finally improve in 2013; 535,900 summer jobs were added by bars and restaurants last year.

“Summer is the busiest season for restaurants in most parts of the country and the stronger business leads to additional employment opportunities at all levels of a restaurant operation,” said the NRA’s Chief Economist Bruce Grindy. He said an improving economy, dampened gas prices and consumers’ pent-up demand for restaurants are helping keep the seasonal spurt strong this year.

States that generate the strongest proportional summer increases are obvious summer vacation destinations including Maine (33.5%), Alaska (20.2%), Delaware (16.5%), New Hampshire (15.2%) and Rhode Island (15.2%). In contrast, Arizona and Florida—typical destinations for winter vacations—are the only states projected to register declines in eating-and-drinking-place employment this summer.