- Full-service restaurants across the US are struggling to re-hire the 2.5 million workers they lost during the Covid pandemic.
- Many pre-pandemic restaurant workers have re-located away from major cities (eg DC, NYC).
- Also, laid-off staff currently earn more from enhanced unemployment benefits (up to $1K/week) than restaurant salaries.
- The shortage is most severe in back-house kitchen staff.
- To attract workers, some restaurants have boosted wages by 15-20%.
- With imminent re-openings, some restaurants such as DC’s Dirty Habit only have enough staff to serve Thursday-Sunday.
