While it remains incredibly tough to find a job in almost any field, the restaurant business has been adding workers at a considerable clip.
In September, restaurants and bars in the U.S. added 34,000 jobs. In that same month, the entire private sector added just 64,000 jobs.
“The economy has recovered a little bit and people want to eat out,” said Jack Russo, senior consumer analyst for Edward Jones Investments. That has spurred hiring and prompted enthusiasm on Wall Street, where investors are hungry for any morsel of good news.
Shares of McDonald’s, for example, are up by a third from this time last year, and some chains are doing even better.
For many young people entering the job market in the aftermath of the recession, jobs waiting tables and tending bar are among the few opportunities available.