Research
August 04, 2026
Restaurant Job Openings
Restaurant and lodging job openings softened in June
Total job openings in the restaurant and lodging sector softened notably, declining from an upwardly revised 752,000 in May to 684,000 in June, the lowest level since August 2020. It is important to note that Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data can be highly volatile from month to month. Even so, the sector has averaged 726,000 open positions over the past four months, indicating that labor demand remains relatively solid overall, albeit softer than many might prefer.
Indeed, the labor market has cooled meaningfully. From 2017 to 2019, the sector averaged 835,000 job openings per month, placing current levels below pre-pandemic norms. While demand for workers remains good by historical standards, it has moderated considerably from the exceptionally strong hiring environment that followed the pandemic.
Hiring activity also weakened in June, falling from 792,000 in May to 715,000, a 17-month low. At the same time, the number of separations increased from 803,000 to 816,000. As a result, net hiring (hires minus separations) was solidly negative in June.
Looking at longer-term trends, the restaurant and lodging sector averaged 895,000 hires and 875,000 separations per month from 2017 to 2019. Year to date, those averages have declined to 811,000 hires and 813,000 separations. Taken together, these figures point to a cooling labor market, with sluggish net hiring consistent with heightened uncertainty in the economic outlook.
The uptick in separations stemmed largely from an increase in quits in June. The number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs in the accommodations and food services industry rose from 598,000 in May to 638,000 in June. Likewise, quits across all nonfarm sectors increased modestly, from 3.15 million to 3.23 million.
Recent data have been consistent with the transition from the "Great Resignation" of a few years ago to the current "Great Stay" period, in which worker turnover has more closely resembled pre-pandemic trends. For comparison, quits averaged 4.22 million per month across nonfarm payrolls and 787,000 in restaurants and lodging in 2022, when the labor market was historically tight and employers faced acute workforce shortages. Year to date, those averages have moderated to roughly 3.13 million and 604,000, respectively.
With that said, quit rates in the accommodations and food services sector have remained somewhat elevated relative to what one might expect during the "Great Stay" period. Workers do not typically leave their jobs voluntarily during periods of heightened economic uncertainty, yet the sector's quit rate has averaged a still-elevated 4.3% year to date. For context, the quit rate peaked at 5.5% in June 2025, while the post-pandemic high was 6.3% in March 2022, matching the record set in January 2001. This suggests that workers are leaving their jobs in the restaurant and lodging sector for other reasons, brushing off concerns about the economic outlook.
Overall, U.S. nonfarm business job openings eased from 7.54 million in May to 7.36 million in June. At the same time, there were 7.09 million unemployed individuals in June, the lowest level in 12 months. As a result, job openings exceeded the number of unemployed workers for the third consecutive month, with a gap of 265,000 and approximately 0.96 unemployed individuals per job opening.
Even so, restaurant operators continue to report that hiring has become easier, particularly compared with conditions three years ago. For context, the labor market was substantially tighter in July 2022, when job openings outnumbered unemployed individuals by nearly two to one. At that time, there were just 49.7 unemployed workers per 100 job openings, with openings exceeding job seekers by more than 5.84 million. While labor market conditions remain relatively tight by historical standards, the imbalance between labor demand and labor supply has narrowed considerably since the post-pandemic peak.
Indeed, the labor market has cooled meaningfully. From 2017 to 2019, the sector averaged 835,000 job openings per month, placing current levels below pre-pandemic norms. While demand for workers remains good by historical standards, it has moderated considerably from the exceptionally strong hiring environment that followed the pandemic.
Hiring activity also weakened in June, falling from 792,000 in May to 715,000, a 17-month low. At the same time, the number of separations increased from 803,000 to 816,000. As a result, net hiring (hires minus separations) was solidly negative in June.
Looking at longer-term trends, the restaurant and lodging sector averaged 895,000 hires and 875,000 separations per month from 2017 to 2019. Year to date, those averages have declined to 811,000 hires and 813,000 separations. Taken together, these figures point to a cooling labor market, with sluggish net hiring consistent with heightened uncertainty in the economic outlook.
The uptick in separations stemmed largely from an increase in quits in June. The number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs in the accommodations and food services industry rose from 598,000 in May to 638,000 in June. Likewise, quits across all nonfarm sectors increased modestly, from 3.15 million to 3.23 million.
Recent data have been consistent with the transition from the "Great Resignation" of a few years ago to the current "Great Stay" period, in which worker turnover has more closely resembled pre-pandemic trends. For comparison, quits averaged 4.22 million per month across nonfarm payrolls and 787,000 in restaurants and lodging in 2022, when the labor market was historically tight and employers faced acute workforce shortages. Year to date, those averages have moderated to roughly 3.13 million and 604,000, respectively.
With that said, quit rates in the accommodations and food services sector have remained somewhat elevated relative to what one might expect during the "Great Stay" period. Workers do not typically leave their jobs voluntarily during periods of heightened economic uncertainty, yet the sector's quit rate has averaged a still-elevated 4.3% year to date. For context, the quit rate peaked at 5.5% in June 2025, while the post-pandemic high was 6.3% in March 2022, matching the record set in January 2001. This suggests that workers are leaving their jobs in the restaurant and lodging sector for other reasons, brushing off concerns about the economic outlook.
Overall, U.S. nonfarm business job openings eased from 7.54 million in May to 7.36 million in June. At the same time, there were 7.09 million unemployed individuals in June, the lowest level in 12 months. As a result, job openings exceeded the number of unemployed workers for the third consecutive month, with a gap of 265,000 and approximately 0.96 unemployed individuals per job opening.
Even so, restaurant operators continue to report that hiring has become easier, particularly compared with conditions three years ago. For context, the labor market was substantially tighter in July 2022, when job openings outnumbered unemployed individuals by nearly two to one. At that time, there were just 49.7 unemployed workers per 100 job openings, with openings exceeding job seekers by more than 5.84 million. While labor market conditions remain relatively tight by historical standards, the imbalance between labor demand and labor supply has narrowed considerably since the post-pandemic peak.
