Buckle up for a busy summer! Restaurants are projected to add a record-breaking 525,000 jobs, according to the National Restaurant Association. This marks the second year in a row for such high summer hiring.
For people who work in the restaurant industry, the skills they pick up in summer jobs advance their careers. For others, they’ll have cross trained in customer service, teamwork, and communication skills that they can rely on forever.
“Restaurant jobs are particularly valuable because employees can learn a host of skills in a short time that are investments for both their business and everyday life,” said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “According to our survey, among adults who have worked in the industry, a majority (63%) think working in the industry is extremely or very beneficial for skill development. Additionally, 79% of adults agree working in the restaurant industry is valuable for professional development and that they still use those skills like teamwork, prioritization, communication, adaptability, and attention to detail.”
~National Restaurant Association
Often teenagers and young adults return to summer restaurant jobs to hone their skills and save up a good amount of money in a short period of time. Juan Martinez, owner of Martinez Hospitality, runs five Don Juan Mex Grill restaurants in northeast Pennsylvania. Every summer he receives emails from college students who worked for him in high school, asking if they can come back to work for the summer. He says it’s a win for the students, and a win for his full-time staff.
“The biggest impact our summer employees have is giving our full-time employees time with their families,” Martinez says. “It provides flexibility for them to take a vacation and spend time with their kids who are out of school. At the same time, it helps the college kids who are eager to make money over the summer and want to work as many hours as they can.”
The restaurant industry is the nation’s training ground. Sixty-three percent of adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives. One in 10 people currently work in foodservice, making it the nation’s second-largest private employer.
Read the full Summer Employment Forecast, which includes a state-by-state forecast of summer jobs, here.