Key Takeaways
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
Canada's restaurant industry employs over a million people and is a major national job creator.
Economic Impact and Productivity
Economic Impact and Productivity Interpretation
Industry Size and Workforce Volume
Industry Size and Workforce Volume Interpretation
Labor Market and Compensation
Labor Market and Compensation Interpretation
Occupational Roles and Specialization
Occupational Roles and Specialization Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
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.
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
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.
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
- Reference 1STATCANwww150.statcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 2STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 3RESTAURANTSCANADArestaurantscanada.orgVisit source
- Reference 4BCSTATSbcstats.gov.bc.caVisit source
- Reference 5ALBERTAalberta.caVisit source
- Reference 6GOVgov.mb.caVisit source
- Reference 7DASHBOARDdashboard.saskatchewan.caVisit source
- Reference 8NOVASCOTIAnovascotia.caVisit source
- Reference 9GNBwww2.gnb.caVisit source
- Reference 10PRINCEEDWARDISLANDprinceedwardisland.caVisit source
- Reference 11STATSstats.gov.nl.caVisit source
- Reference 12STATCANstatcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 13ICic.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 14CFAcfa.caVisit source
- Reference 15CONFERENCEBOARDconferenceboard.caVisit source
- Reference 16CICNEWScicnews.comVisit source
- Reference 17RESTAURATIONrestauration.orgVisit source
- Reference 18CANADAcanada.caVisit source
- Reference 19PAYSCALEpayscale.comVisit source
- Reference 20JOBBANKjobbank.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 21BENEFITSCANADAbenefitscanada.comVisit source
- Reference 22RETAILCOUNCILretailcouncil.orgVisit source
- Reference 23WORKBCworkbc.caVisit source






