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By Veronica Beltran

foodservice industry feeling effects of COVID-19

Survey suggests restaurant jobs lost due to COVID-19 might not return

Apr 2, 2020 | 11:58 AM

VANCOUVER—A Restaurants Canada survey has revealed that many jobs lost due to COVID-19 might not return.

According to Restaurants Canada an estimated 800, 000 food service jobs have already been lost nationwide due to COVID-19 with around 121,500 jobs lost in BC alone.

“Not only was our industry among the first to feel the impacts of COVID-19, we’ve been one of the hardest hit so far, with nearly two thirds of our workforce now lost.”— Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada President and CEO

The survey found that four out of five restaurants have laid off employees since March 1st, seven out of ten foodservice operators will further cut back on staff hours or lay off more employees if conditions do not improve.

Nearly one out of ten restaurants have already closed permanently and another 18 percent will permanently close within a month if current conditions continue.

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“In our 75 years of existence as Canada’s national foodservice association, these are by far the worst numbers we have ever seen.”—Shanna Munro, Restaurants Canada President and CEO

According to restaurants Canada BC’s $15 billion foodservice industry represents five percent of the province’s GDP and is the province’s third-largest private sector employer.

If current conditions do not improve Restaurants Canada estimates that BC foodservice sales for the second quarter of 2020 will be down more than $3 billion.

Restaurants Canada says they have been working closely with government and industry stakeholders since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, contributing to efforts to safeguard public health and assure business continuity as much as possible.