Restaurants and bars added 10,800 jobs in September

U.S. food services and drinking places added 10,800 payroll jobs in September, bringing employment to 12.393 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ October 2 report. The seasonally adjusted gain followed a revised increase of 33,800 in August.

August’s gain was smaller than the 59,200 jobs in the first estimate released September 4. The latest figures show two consecutive monthly increases for the sector, which includes restaurants and bars.

The sector had 109,100 more payroll jobs than in September 2025. Both the August and September estimates remain preliminary.

In the broader leisure-and-hospitality sector, average hourly earnings for all employees reached $23.90, up from $23.76 in August. The average workweek rose to 25.5 hours from 25.4, bringing average weekly earnings to $609.45, up from $603.50. This group includes lodging and arts, entertainment and recreation alongside food service.

These are current-dollar earnings. BLS publishes a separate inflation-adjusted measure of hourly and weekly pay.

Hiring continued across restaurants and lodging#

A separate BLS survey tracks hiring, departures and vacancies. In August, accommodation and food services recorded 750,000 hires and 702,000 total separations, according to the September 29 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Employers in that group had 713,000 open positions on the month’s final business day.

The openings estimate was above July’s 653,000 and below the 942,000 recorded a year earlier. August hires were slightly lower than July’s 767,000, while separations fell from 746,000. BLS characterized openings and hires as little changed across industries.

These preliminary, seasonally adjusted figures cover lodging as well as food service. Vacancies are a snapshot at month end, while hiring and departures accumulate throughout the month. Total separations include resignations, layoffs and discharges, and other departures such as retirement.

What operators expect#

Restaurant operators’ own responses add a view of staffing plans. The National Restaurant Association’s August Restaurant Performance Index put its labor indicator at 99.7, up from 99.4 in July. Its staffing expectations indicator stood at 100.4, compared with 100.5 the previous month.

The index uses 100 as neutral, with readings above it signaling expansion and readings below it signaling contraction. The current labor reading was just below that mark, while staffing expectations were just above it. Current labor combines employees and average employee hours, comparing August with the same month a year earlier. Expected staffing concerns employee numbers six months ahead, compared with the corresponding period in the prior year.

Those readings sit alongside a mixed picture of customer demand. In the same survey, 51% of operators reported higher year-over-year same-store sales. Customer traffic rose for 43% and fell for 46%. Those percentages describe the share of respondents reporting each result. The association gathers responses monthly from restaurant operators nationwide through its Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey.

From guest counts to the schedule#

A separate association report offers a concrete example of how an operator translates demand into staffing. In its April 2026 Hiring & Staffing report, supported by Workday, Dave Burrington of Lehigh Valley Restaurant Brands described using historical guest counts and employment figures to help set staffing levels. “Managers tweak it somewhat, but it works pretty well overall,” he told the association.

Burrington, identified as the group’s human resources director for Red Robin, said sales had become less reliable when they were not adjusted for inflation. Guest counts had become a more useful input to its staffing model. He also described a role for managerial judgment: the value of an additional employee depended on the manager’s leadership and the employee’s skills and capabilities.

The same April report asked operators how long it took to fill vacancies. Survey respondents reported an average of 16 days to fill an hourly position and 46 days for a manager or salaried role. The interval ran from the job becoming open to the new employee’s first day.

From an application to an interview#

Southern Rock Restaurants, a McAlister’s Deli operator, addressed a different part of staffing: getting applicants to an interview. In an August 30, 2023 customer account, software vendor Paradox described a recruiting process centralized through one recruiter and supported by its text-based AI assistant, Savannah.

Candidates could begin by scanning a QR code or texting to apply. Southern Rock shortened the application to three core questions. Paradox’s customer case study describes screening by text for the position and shifts a person wanted. Applicants could also ask Savannah questions about the company or role and receive answers within the conversation.

The assistant handled interview scheduling around the clock, with rescheduling available by text. Paradox’s case study dates Savannah’s implementation to 2021. Southern Rock pushed managers to meet candidates within a day and set a 36-hour time-to-hire target, according to the vendor’s 2023 account.