SOBERING STATISTICS FOR THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY

Some sobering statistics that highlight how lockdowns have affected the Canadian restaurant and foodservices industry and those who count on it for their livelihoods in a recent post from Restaurants Canada President & CEO Todd Barclay that appeared in Menu Magazine:

“Unfortunately, contrary to what many government officials have indicated, ‘We are not all in this together’, writes Barclay. “In a year when so many others have continued to receive their full pay, and some industries have thrived during the pandemic, those in the restaurant sector have never worked harder and lost so much through no fault of their own.

Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, the foodservice sector was Canada’s fourth-largest employer, directly employing 1.2 million people. However, in the first six weeks of the pandemic, the restaurant industry lost more jobs than the entire Canadian economy lost during the 2008-2009 recession. One out of every five jobs lost during the initial lockdown from March to April 2020 was in Canada’s restaurant sector.

It is imperative to note that women make up 58 per cent of the restaurant workforce but accounted for six out of every 10 lost jobs and 31 per cent of restaurant owners, operators and staff belong to a visible minority.

Fifty per cent of Canadian restaurants are run by new Canadians, both groups who may have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. No other sector is still experiencing such a shortfall. All other industries have recovered at least 85% or more of their pandemic job losses.”

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