More than quarter of operators report being more than 20% below staffing levels, according to National Restaurant Association
Restaurant operators continue to face challenges keeping their restaurants fully-staffed. Six in 10 restaurants are understaffed, according to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Business Conditions Survey. By and large, both full-service operators (63%) and limited-service operators (61%) say their restaurant does not have enough employees to meet customer demand.
More specifically, staffing is significantly below what’s needed. Out of those restaurants that reported being understaffed, 66% of operators indicate their restaurant is more than 10% below necessary staffing levels. What’s worse, 27% of operators are currently more than 20% below staffing levels.
A total of 79% of restaurant operators indicate they have job openings difficult to fill. While 83% of full-service operators are saying this, 75% of limited-service operators are indicating this.
According to the Association’s survey, most operators will be actively looking to boost staffing levels in 2023. What’s more, 87% of restaurant operators indicate they will likely hire additional employees during the next 6 to 12 months if there are qualified applicants. Specifically, 90% of full-service operators and 85% of limited-service operators will likely hire additional employees during the next 6 to 12 months if there are qualified applicants.
As many companies start anticipating a recession this year, restaurant operators are also planning in the event of a worse-case scenario. A total of 57% of operators say they would be likely to lay off employees during the next 6-12 months if business conditions deteriorate and the US economy enters a recession.
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