The restaurant industry added 192,000 jobs last month, according to new federal data, as operators continued reopening units and bringing back workers as their business recovered from the pandemic.
But it has a long way to go. The industry remains 2.1 million jobs, or 16%, below where it was in February.
And the rate of growth is slower than it was in the spring, when restaurants brought back more than 3 million workers as federal stimulus funds and dine-in reopenings prompted a return to business.
Since August, however, restaurants have brought back just more than 500,000 workers. That suggests a full return of the employees lost during the pandemic may not happen until late next year.
Adding some uncertainty: The coming winter months could bring further restrictions, both practically as patios are closed in cooler climates, and as local governments pull back on dine-in service to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Still, the industry is clearly recovering and bringing back employees as its business has returned and consumers have grown more comfortable dining out at restaurants.
The economy also continues to improve. Employers added 638,000 jobs last month, more than many economists expected, and the unemployment rate declined to 6.9%. While restaurant industry job growth has moderated, in other words, it still represented nearly one out of every three recreated jobs last month.
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