Around 15.7 million people work in the restaurant and food service industry. And that's just in the United States. It's the nation’s second largest private sector employer, providing jobs to 10% of the total U.S. workforce.
Most of these workers are toiling away at eating and drinking places, while an estimated 3.2 million fill food service positions in other sectors like healthcare, accommodations, education, food-and-beverage stores, and arts, entertainment and recreation.
The restaurant industry is known for having notoriously high staff turnover rates. One study from a few years back found that restaurant employees who started a job between August 2021-August 2022, lasted just 110 days (a little over three months) before they moved on.
As you might have guessed, money (or the lack thereof) plays a big role in whether a restaurant worker chooses to stay or to go. According to a survey conducted by 7 Shifts, wages are the main factor behind why restaurant employees quit their jobs. 34.6% of participants cited low pay as a reason for leaving a job or a reason for why they are planning to.
Nearly half of almost 4,000 restaurant employees polled said they earn between $11 and $15 per hour. 73% of them receive tips on top of their pay.
