U.S. restaurant owners have been dangling unprecedented perks in an effort to attract back workers, and it’s starting to pay off.
After months of understaffing that’s hobbled the recovering food-service sector, bars and restaurants reported the largest payrolls increase of any industry last month, with a gain of 186,000 jobs, the Labor Department’s report showed Friday.
That jump in employment was likely buoyed by recent wage hikes at deep-pocketed chains like McDonald’s Corp., Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and Olive Garden.
Average hourly wages in the leisure and hospitality sector were $18.09 in May, preliminary data show, an increase from $17.86 in April. Owners are also getting creative when it comes to attracting talent, including offering retention bonuses and loosening previous restrictions on appearance or experience.