Gitnux/Report 2026

Number of Employees in the Canadian Restaurants Statistics

Youth aged 15 to 24 make up 41% of Canada’s restaurant workforce, even as women hold 53% of food services jobs and women also account for 25% of supervisors and managers. With turnover still around 75% and average tenure just 2.4 years, the page lays out who is staffing Canada’s $100 billion restaurant business and how rapidly that talent churns from first job seekers to seasoned kitchen and dining roles.
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June 18, 2026Updated
Number of Employees in the Canadian Restaurants Statistics
Julian RichterWritten by Julian Richter·Edited by Astrid Bergmann·Fact-checked by Nicholas Chambers
Published ·Updated
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Canadian restaurants employ 1,135,100 people. Youth aged 15 to 24 account for 41 percent of the workforce. Women represent 53 percent of employees in the sector.

Key Takeaways

  • Youth aged 15-24 account for 41% of all restaurant industry employees in Canada
  • The restaurant industry is the top employer for first-time job seekers in Canada
  • Women represent 53% of the total workforce in Canadian food services
  • Canadian restaurants generate $100 billion in annual sales via their employees
  • The food service industry contributes 4% of Canada’s total GDP
  • Average sales per employee in full-service restaurants is $85,000 annually
  • The Canadian food services and drinking places industry employed 1,135,100 people in 2023
  • Full-service restaurants in Canada employed 542,300 workers as of late 2023
  • Limited-service eating places (fast food) accounted for 489,100 employees in the Canadian market
  • Average hourly wage for food service workers in Canada reached $18.55 in Q1 2024
  • Real wages in the restaurant sector grew by 5.1% year-over-year in 2023
  • There were 65,000 job vacancies in the Canadian food services sector for Q4 2023
  • Food and Beverage Servers represent 342,000 employees nationwide
  • Cooks number roughly 220,000 in the Canadian labor force
  • Food Counter Attendants and Kitchen Helpers count for 280,000 positions

Youth and diverse communities drive Canada’s restaurant workforce, with many students, temporary workers, and high turnover.

Related reading

01 · Category

Demographic and Social Composition30 stats

01
Youth aged 15-24 account for 41% of all restaurant industry employees in Canada
02
The restaurant industry is the top employer for first-time job seekers in Canada
03
Women represent 53% of the total workforce in Canadian food services
04
Men represent 47% of the total workforce in Canadian food services
05
Visible minorities make up 34% of the restaurant and food services workforce
06
Immigrants account for nearly 29% of the total workforce in food services
07
Indigenous people represent approximately 4% of the industry’s employees
08
Approximately 22% of restaurant employees are students working while in school
09
18% of the restaurant workforce is aged 45-64
10
5% of restaurant industry workers are aged 65 and over
11
The industry employs over 250,000 new Canadians annually
12
Over 50% of Canadian restaurant owners started their careers as entry-level employees
13
The food services sector is the largest employer of high school students in Quebec
14
12% of restaurant employees in Ontario identify as South Asian
15
9% of the workforce in BC’s restaurant sector identifies as Chinese
16
The percentage of temporary foreign workers in the restaurant sector increased to 8% in 2024
17
31% of the workforce in limited-service restaurants are regular students
18
About 60% of entry-level workers in the industry have no prior work experience
19
15% of the total restaurant workforce possesses a tertiary university degree
20
Approximately 10% of restaurant employees work in rural or remote communities
21
25% of female employees in the industry hold supervisor or management roles
22
228,000 young workers in the sector are aged between 15 and 19 years old
23
Filipino workers represent the third-largest immigrant group in food services
24
Average tenure for a restaurant worker in Canada is 2.4 years
25
The industry provides jobs for 1 out of every 15 Canadians
26
33% of workers in the sector identify as visible minorities in British Columbia
27
7% of restaurant employees are seasonal or temporary hires
28
48% of employees in full-service restaurants are male
29
The percentage of employees identifying as LGBTQ+ is estimated at 6% in the service sector
30
40% of kitchen staff in major urban centers are foreign-born
Interpretation

Demographic and Social Composition Interpretation

The Canadian restaurant industry is a vibrant and essential engine of first chances, where a young, diverse majority learns the world of work by serving it, all while balancing more part-time identities than a superhero with a day job.

02 · Category

Economic Impact and Productivity30 stats

01
Canadian restaurants generate $100 billion in annual sales via their employees
02
The food service industry contributes 4% of Canada’s total GDP
03
Average sales per employee in full-service restaurants is $85,000annually
04
Average sales per employee in limited-service restaurants is $92,000annually
05
Profit margins for restaurants with hired staff average 3.7%
06
Commercial food services spent $35 billion on wages and benefits in 2023
07
Employment in food services accounts for 6.4% of all Canadian employees
08
22% of total retail/service jobs in Canada are in restaurants
09
Employee productivity in food services grew by 0.5% in 2023
10
For every $1 million in restaurant sales, 15 jobs are created
11
Direct economic contribution of restaurant employees to Ontario is $35 billion
12
Restaurant employees spend 70% of their income in their local communities
13
The sector pays $6 billion in payroll taxes annually
14
1 in 5 Canadians report having worked in the restaurant industry at some point
15
Employee counts in drive-thru specialized units increased by 12% since 2020
16
ghost kitchens employ an estimated 2,500 people in Canada
17
80,000 employees are involved in catering for high-volume events
18
Digital ordering integration has decreased employee-to-customer ratios by 10%
19
Average staff occupancy rate in Canadian bars is 75% of capacity
20
Corporate tax paid by the employer per employee averages $4,500
21
4.8% of the workforce in Quebec is in food and beverage services
22
Employee count in the industry decreased by 300,000 during the pandemic lows
23
Repercussions of industrial action (strikes) affected <1% of employees in 2023
24
Inflation-adjusted restaurant spending per employee is down 2% from 2019
25
The industry supports $15 billion in secondary economic activity (suppliers)
26
Mobile food services (food trucks) employ 4,500 people
27
Restaurant employment growth in the Maritimes outperformed the national average in 2023
28
18% of the workforce is concentrated in the Greater Toronto Area
29
Total industry hours worked annually exceeds 1.3 billion hours
30
95% of restaurants are independent or small franchisees employing local staff
Interpretation

Economic Impact and Productivity Interpretation

Canada's restaurant industry is a high-volume, low-margin engine of the economy, where armies of staff—from ghost kitchens to food trucks—serve a $100 billion feast, yet they must squeeze $92,000 from every limited-service employee just to pocket a sliver of profit.

03 · Category

Industry Size and Workforce Volume30 stats

01
The Canadian food services and drinking places industry employed 1,135,100 people in 2023
02
Full-service restaurants in Canada employed 542,300 workers as of late 2023
03
Limited-service eating places (fast food) accounted for 489,100 employees in the Canadian market
04
The drinking places (bars and pubs) sector employed approximately 38,400 people across Canada
05
Special food services (catering and mobile) employed 65,300 individuals in the Canadian landscape
06
Ontario holds the largest share of restaurant employees with over 430,000 workers in the sector
07
Quebec's restaurant workforce represents approximately 20% of the national total with 225,000 employees
08
British Columbia employs roughly 190,000 people in the food and beverage services sector
09
Alberta's restaurant industry supports a workforce of approximately 145,000 individuals
10
Manitoba employs approximately 42,000 people in the food services and accommodation sector
11
Saskatchewan’s restaurant workforce totals nearly 38,000 employees
12
Nova Scotia accounts for approximately 31,000 employees in the core restaurant sector
13
New Brunswick has roughly 24,000 workers employed in food services
14
Prince Edward Island employs approximately 7,500 people in the food and accommodation industry
15
Newfoundland and Labrador’s restaurant workforce comprises about 15,000 individuals
16
The Yukon, NWT, and Nunavut collectively employ about 4,000 people in food services
17
Large restaurant chains (500+ employees) account for 22% of total industry employment
18
Small businesses (1-99 employees) employ about 68% of the Canadian restaurant workforce
19
Medium-sized enterprises (100-499) make up 10% of the total restaurant employee count
20
The average number of employees per restaurant establishment in Canada is 18.5
21
Franchise-affiliated restaurants employ an average of 24 people per location
22
Independent restaurants average 12 employees per establishment
23
Employment in food services grew by 4.2% between 2022 and 2023
24
The sector remains the fourth-largest private sector employer in Canada
25
Over 1.2 million Canadians are projected to be employed in the industry by 2025
26
Roughly 80,000 new jobs were created in the restaurant sector post-pandemic recovery
27
Pre-pandemic (2019) employment levels were approximately 1,220,000
28
In 2023, the industry saw a 7% increase in the number of female employees
29
Part-time employees make up 45% of the total restaurant workforce
30
Full-time employees comprise 55% of the workforce in the food services sector
Interpretation

Industry Size and Workforce Volume Interpretation

While Canada's restaurant industry, with its 1.1 million-plus workers, may be fueled by part-time hours and fast-food burgers, it's a full-time economic powerhouse, serving as the country's fourth-largest private employer and proving that the nation truly runs on coffee, poutine, and sheer human hustle.

More related reading

04 · Category

Labor Market and Compensation30 stats

01
Average hourly wage for food service workers in Canada reached $18.55in Q1 2024
02
Real wages in the restaurant sector grew by 5.1% year-over-year in 2023
03
There were 65,000 job vacancies in the Canadian food services sector for Q4 2023
04
The vacancy rate for the industry sits at 5.4%, among the highest in Canada
05
Cooks are the most in-demand position with 12,000 active vacancies
06
Food counter attendants represent 20,000 open job postings nationally
07
Average weekly hours worked per employee in food services is 22.4 hours
08
Over 80% of restaurant owners report labor shortages as their top concern
09
Tipped employees in Ontario earn an average of $25.50/hour including gratuities
10
Management roles in the restaurant industry earn an average of $55,000per year
11
The industry turnover rate remains high at approximately 75% annually
12
35% of Canadian restaurant workers receive employer-sponsored benefits
13
Minimum wage increases in 2024 affect approx. 60% of the industry workforce
14
Executive chefs in high-end Canadian restaurants earn between $70k-$110k annually
15
Kitchen helper wages average $16.75per hour nationally
16
14,000 unique employers posted jobs for bartenders in 2023
17
Labor costs typically account for 30% to 35% of a restaurant's total revenue
18
Training costs per new entry-level employee average $2,500in Canada
19
The industry added 22,000 jobs in May 2024 alone
20
42% of employees in the sector work more than one job
21
Only 2% of restaurant employees are unionized in Canada
22
Over 15% of staff in BC restaurants are recruited via personal networks
23
1.5% of total employment growth in Canada is attributed to the food service sector
24
Over 5,000 restaurant workers were impacted by wildfires in Alberta in 2023
25
Wage growth for dishwashers reached 8% in 2023 due to staff shortages
26
The gender pay gap in the restaurant sector is approximately 8% (hourly)
27
110,000 workers in the industry have worked for the same employer for over 5 years
28
28% of employees in the industry work overtime occasionally
29
Apprenticeship registrations for cooks increased by 10% in 2022
30
Recruitment for the sector through social media has risen by 25% since 2021
Interpretation

Labor Market and Compensation Interpretation

Despite restaurants desperately trying to fill a sea of empty shifts with higher wages and a shorter workweek, they're caught in a loop where high costs, high turnover, and a mountain of vacancies mean your burger now essentially comes with a side of economic tension.

05 · Category

Occupational Roles and Specialization30 stats

01
Food and Beverage Servers represent 342,000 employees nationwide
02
Cooks number roughly 220,000 in the Canadian labor force
03
Food Counter Attendants and Kitchen Helpers count for 280,000 positions
04
Restaurant and Food Service Managers total 102,000 across Canada
05
Chefs (Executive, Sous, Specialist) account for 45,000 employees
06
Maîtres d'hôtel and Hosts/Hostesses account for 18,000 employees
07
Bartenders represent 56,000 employees in the Canadian market
08
Delivery drivers employed directly by restaurants total 25,000
09
Bakers in restaurants and professional kitchens total 31,000
10
Food service supervisors account for 78,000 workers in Canada
11
Approximately 12,000 people are employed as sommeliers or wine specialists
12
Pastry chefs make up 8,500 of the total chef workforce
13
Dishwashers represent approximately 65,000 workers in Canada
14
In-house security and bouncers for bars total about 12,000
15
Corporate roles for restaurant HQ (HR, Finance) total 20,000
16
Banquet servers for hotel-based restaurants total 35,000
17
Food and beverage tasters and graders account for 3,000 employees
18
Dining room attendants and busboys total 40,000 across Canada
19
Coffee shop baristas (specific to non-limited service) total 55,000
20
Operations managers for restaurant groups total 5,000
21
Sous-chefs represent 15,000 of the 45k chef total
22
Butcher specialists within restaurant staff total 2,000
23
Event coordinators within large restaurant venues total 4,000
24
Drive-thru operators represent 15% of the limited-service workforce
25
Line cooks at casual dining grills represent 80,000 employees
26
Breakfast specialty cooks total 12,000 nationwide
27
Prep cooks total 45,000 in Canadian kitchens
28
Fine-dining servers account for 10% of the server population
29
Take-out only establishment employees total 22,000
30
Ethnic restaurant specialty chefs total 28,000
Interpretation

Occupational Roles and Specialization Interpretation

Canada's restaurant industry, with over 1.5 million people, runs on a clear if sometimes sobering hierarchy: an enormous base of servers, cooks, and attendants supports the delicate pyramid where, for every one executive chef crafting a masterpiece, there are roughly eight dishwashers ensuring the next plate is spotless.
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APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Number Of Employees In The Canadian Restaurants Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/number-of-employees-in-the-canadian-restaurants-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Number Of Employees In The Canadian Restaurants Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/number-of-employees-in-the-canadian-restaurants-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Number Of Employees In The Canadian Restaurants Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/number-of-employees-in-the-canadian-restaurants-statistics.

Sources & references

23 datasets cited across this report

www150.statcan.gc.castatista.comrestaurantscanada.orgbcstats.gov.bc.caalberta.cagov.mb.cadashboard.saskatchewan.canovascotia.cawww2.gnb.caprinceedwardisland.castats.gov.nl.castatcan.gc.caic.gc.cacfa.caconferenceboard.cacicnews.comrestauration.orgcanada.capayscale.comjobbank.gc.cabenefitscanada.comretailcouncil.orgworkbc.ca