RESTAURANTS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW CANADIANS

The restaurant industry employs nearly 1.2 million workers, representing 6% of the country’s workforce.

Restaurants are the fourth-largest private employer in Canada, employing more people than real estate, mining, oil and gas extraction, agriculture, utilities, forestry and fishing combined.

The restaurant industry is the number one source of first-time jobs for Canadians.

More than 520,000 thousand youth are employed in the restaurant industry, representing one in five youth jobs.

Three in 10 Canadians between the ages of 18 and 54 have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives (23%) or currently work in the restaurant industry (7%). 

Women represent 57% of the foodservice workforce.

Visible minority groups make up 39% of foodservice workers belong to

Across the country, immigrants make up more than half (53%) of business owners with paid staff in the foodservice industry.

More than one out of every four workers in the foodservice industry are immigrants.

The foodservice industry creates more than 287,100 spinoff jobs in other industries.