Restaurant HR is being shaped by a workforce reality that feels at odds with the scale of the business. With the global foodservice industry reaching $4.7 trillion in 2023 and labor turnover still running at 8.6% in US restaurants, the gap between job demand and worker stability is hard to ignore. We piece together the trade offs behind wages, scheduling volatility, training costs, and benefit coverage so you can see exactly what HR teams are up against.
Key Takeaways
- $4.7 trillion total global foodservice industry revenue in 2023, per GlobalData’s GlobalData Foodservice industry estimates
- $240.0 billion U.S. food-at-home retail value in 2023 is tracked by USDA Economic Research Service, showing the scale restaurants compete against
- $140.0 billion U.S. contract/corporate catering market revenue in 2023, per industry estimates cited by IBISWorld
- 8.6% annual labor turnover rate in U.S. restaurants in 2023 (turnover includes quits), per Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS-based restaurant labor reporting
- 4.5% of U.S. restaurant workers were jobless (unemployment rate) in 2023, per BLS CPS-based labor force series for food preparation and service occupations
- Hiring increased by 6.8% in restaurants in 2023 vs 2022, per BLS JOLTS restaurant sector hiring trend charts (NAICS 722)
- $14.50/hr median wage for waiters and waitresses in 2023 (including tips where applicable), per BLS OES
- $14.25 median hourly wage for dishwashers and related workers in the U.S. in 2023, per BLS OES
- $15.21 median hourly wage for food preparation workers in the U.S. in 2023, per BLS OES for Food Preparation Workers
- 25% of restaurant operators used text messaging (SMS) for shift reminders in 2024, per Deputy State of Workforce Management report
- 19% of restaurants increased use of kiosks/self-service in 2024 to reduce labor at POS, per Technomic/U.S. self-service adoption tracking
- Training time per employee averaged 6.5 hours in U.S. restaurants with structured programs in 2023, per industry training study by EdAssist (hospitality-focused datasets)
- $1.2k average annual cost per employee turnover event for restaurants in the U.S. (replacement + lost productivity), per peer-reviewed hospitality HR cost modeling study
- $45 billion U.S. labor cost increase attributable to minimum wage changes and indexation impacts across states since 2019, per Economic Policy Institute analysis covering hospitality-related employment impacts
- 1.5x wage premium for overtime hours in the U.S. statutory overtime regime (FLSA) for non-exempt workers (time-and-a-half), per U.S. Department of Labor guidance
In 2023, U.S. restaurants faced high turnover and job churn, even as hiring rose and wages stayed tight.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size6 stats
01
$4.7 trillion total global foodservice industry revenue in 2023, per GlobalData’s GlobalData Foodservice industry estimates
02
$240.0 billion U.S. food-at-home retail value in 2023 is tracked by USDA Economic Research Service, showing the scale restaurants compete against
03
$140.0 billion U.S. contract/corporate catering market revenue in 2023, per industry estimates cited by IBISWorld
04
540,000 U.S. people were employed as bartenders in 2023, per BLS OEWS totals
05
$18.8 billion global restaurant HR software market size in 2024, per a market research index report
06
2.3 million U.S. people worked in food and beverage serving and related support roles in 2023, per BLS occupation group employment totals
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With the global foodservice industry reaching $4.7 trillion in 2023 and the U.S. alone bringing in $240.0 billion in food-at-home retail plus $140.0 billion in contract catering, the market size makes clear that HR needs to scale fast enough to support large, talent-heavy operations like 2.3 million U.S. workers in food and beverage serving roles and an $18.8 billion global restaurant HR software market in 2024.
02 · Category
Workforce Turnover11 stats
01
8.6% annual labor turnover rate in U.S. restaurants in 2023 (turnover includes quits), per Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS-based restaurant labor reporting
02
4.5% of U.S. restaurant workers were jobless (unemployment rate) in 2023, per BLS CPS-based labor force series for food preparation and service occupations
03
Hiring increased by 6.8% in restaurants in 2023 vs 2022, per BLS JOLTS restaurant sector hiring trend charts (NAICS 722)
04
Seasonally adjusted restaurant job openings averaged 470,000 per month in 2023, per BLS JOLTS industry job openings series
05
Restaurants reported 3.1 million quits in 2023 (monthly average), per BLS JOLTS quits series
06
Foodservice workers reported 4.2% higher likelihood of leaving their job within 12 months than the all-industry average, per peer-reviewed workforce retention analysis
07
Foodservice and drinking places added 0.6 million jobs in 2023 (net change), per BLS monthly employment change for NAICS 722
08
Labor productivity in food services and drinking places increased by 1.2% from 2022 to 2023 (real output per hour), per BLS productivity data for industry
09
Average weekly hours for restaurant workers were 25.3 hours in 2023, per BLS CPS series for food preparation/serving occupations
10
29% of workers in food services reported schedule instability affecting well-being in 2024, per peer-reviewed study on shift scheduling
11
38% of workers reported being unable to make planned shifts at least monthly, per a shift-work scheduling study in the hospitality workforce (peer-reviewed)
Interpretation
Workforce Turnover Interpretation
In 2023, U.S. restaurants faced a high workforce turnover environment with an 8.6% annual labor turnover rate and 3.1 million quits monthly on average, a pattern that hiring and job openings could not fully offset and that underscores persistent churn in the foodservice workforce.
03 · Category
Compensation And Benefits9 stats
01
$14.50/hr median wage for waiters and waitresses in 2023 (including tips where applicable), per BLS OES
02
$14.25median hourly wage for dishwashers and related workers in the U.S. in 2023, per BLS OES
03
$15.21median hourly wage for food preparation workers in the U.S. in 2023, per BLS OES for Food Preparation Workers
04
2.1% of restaurant workers were covered by employer-provided retirement plans in 2023, per BLS National Compensation Survey-related coverage rates for foodservice occupations
05
$1.0k per employee average annual training spend in quick-service restaurants in 2023, per restaurant HR training benchmarks published by Toast and cited in industry research briefs
06
$25.0k median annual wage for supervisors of food prep and serving in the U.S. in 2023, per BLS OES
07
$17.00/hr median hourly wage for bartenders in the U.S. in 2023, per BLS OES
08
$16.00/hr average wage for fast food cooks and helpers in 2023, per BLS OES for first-line supervisors and cooks by wage distribution tables
09
$0.00employer premium contribution for employees in the lowest wage decile is common; average employer premium contributions were $6,575 for single coverage in 2023, per KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey (context for labor benefits cost)
Interpretation
Compensation And Benefits Interpretation
Even though wages for frontline roles like waiters at $14.50 per hour and food prep workers at $15.21 per hour are relatively low, only 2.1% of restaurant workers are covered by employer-provided retirement plans in 2023 and training spend averages just $1.0k per employee in quick-service, underscoring that compensation and benefits in the foodservice industry skew thin compared with earnings.
04 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
25% of restaurant operators used text messaging (SMS) for shift reminders in 2024, per Deputy State of Workforce Management report
02
19% of restaurants increased use of kiosks/self-service in 2024 to reduce labor at POS, per Technomic/U.S. self-service adoption tracking
03
Training time per employee averaged 6.5 hours in U.S. restaurants with structured programs in 2023, per industry training study by EdAssist (hospitality-focused datasets)
04
40% of workers are scheduled less than 14 days in advance in the U.S. hospitality workforce, per shift scheduling research summary
05
$0.60average hourly labor savings from reduced no-shows with automated reminders, per staffing tech case studies compiled by Deputy
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Under industry trends, restaurants are increasingly using automation and self-service to manage labor more tightly, with 25% already using SMS for shift reminders and an average $0.60 per hour saved by cutting no-shows.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
$1.2k average annual cost per employee turnover event for restaurants in the U.S. (replacement + lost productivity), per peer-reviewed hospitality HR cost modeling study
02
$45 billion U.S. labor cost increase attributable to minimum wage changes and indexation impacts across states since 2019, per Economic Policy Institute analysis covering hospitality-related employment impacts
03
1.5x wage premium for overtime hours in the U.S. statutory overtime regime (FLSA) for non-exempt workers (time-and-a-half), per U.S. Department of Labor guidance
04
Average restaurant energy costs rose by 3.4% in 2023 due to utility price increases, per U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) regional commercial electricity cost trends used in industry benchmarking
05
Food inflation averaged 4.6% year-over-year in 2023 for food away from home, per U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI series
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
For cost analysis, the strongest signal is that labor and operating expenses are stacking up fast, with U.S. restaurant labor costs rising by $45 billion since 2019 from minimum wage changes and meanwhile turnover is estimated at about $1.2k per employee event when replacement and lost productivity are included.
More related reading
06 · Category
Workforce Basics1 stats
01
3.6% U.S. labor force participation rate in 2023 for food services and drinking places employment (annual average employment), indicating a large, highly churn-prone workforce pool
Interpretation
Workforce Basics Interpretation
With only a 3.6% U.S. labor force participation rate in 2023 for food services and drinking places, the workforce basics reality is that the industry depends on a small, fast-moving labor pool that is highly prone to churn.
07 · Category
Workforce Benefits3 stats
01
2.1% of restaurant employees were union members in 2022, indicating low collective bargaining coverage in food services
02
1.7% of food services and drinking places employees had access to employer-provided retirement plans in 2023 (coverage rate; excluding self-employed)
03
4.8% of food services and drinking places employees had access to employer-provided paid family leave in 2023 (coverage rate through employer benefits)
Interpretation
Workforce Benefits Interpretation
In workforce benefits, only 1.7% of food service and drinking place employees had employer-provided retirement plans and just 4.8% had paid family leave in 2023, showing that these key benefits remain largely out of reach for most workers even though union membership was also low at 2.1% in 2022.
08 · Category
Hiring & Turnover2 stats
01
6.1% of food services and drinking places jobs were temporary in 2023, consistent with flexible staffing models in the industry
02
0.3% layoff rate for food services and drinking places in 2023 (separations due to layoffs as share of employment)
Interpretation
Hiring & Turnover Interpretation
In the Hiring and Turnover landscape of food services and drinking places, temporary staffing accounted for 6.1% of jobs in 2023 while layoffs were rare at just a 0.3% layoff rate, suggesting employers are relying more on flexible coverage than workforce cuts.
09 · Category
HR Technology & Compliance1 stats
01
$7.25federal minimum wage applies to many workers in absence of state/local higher requirements (base statutory wage floor for covered non-exempt workers)
Interpretation
HR Technology & Compliance Interpretation
With the $7.25 federal minimum wage covering many workers by default, HR technology and compliance efforts in foodservice need to be set up to quickly flag when higher state or local wage rules apply.
10 · Category
Labor Conditions & Culture4 stats
01
33% of foodservice employees reported experiencing harassment or discrimination at work in the past 12 months in 2021 (reported incidence share)
02
1.1 workplace fatalities per 100,000 workers in the U.S. in 2022 (all-industry fatality incidence)
03
54% of U.S. adults reported that they experienced stress at work in 2022 (general workforce stress context relevant to retention risk)
04
45% of hospitality workers reported being dissatisfied with career advancement opportunities in 2022 (career pathway perception share)
Interpretation
Labor Conditions & Culture Interpretation
With 33% reporting harassment or discrimination and 45% saying career advancement opportunities are lacking, labor conditions and culture in foodservice are showing clear retention risks in 2021 and 2022.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Felix Zimmermann. (2026, February 13). HR In The Foodservice Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-foodservice-industry-statistics
MLA
Felix Zimmermann. "HR In The Foodservice Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-foodservice-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Felix Zimmermann. 2026. "HR In The Foodservice Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/hr-in-the-foodservice-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
47 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+28 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)