How to Hire Restaurant Staff as Hospitality Quits Jump
· 5 min read
If you are figuring out how to hire restaurant staff before the holidays, the newest federal data explains why it feels harder this fall. On November 3, 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that quits in accommodation and food services rose by 197,000 in September, to 719,000. Hires in the same industry also rose, by 158,000, to 879,000 (BLS JOLTS, September 2026). Restaurants and hotels are hiring more people, and losing more people, at the same time.
For a small restaurant, that means the server you hired in August may already be gone, and the candidate who applied to you this morning may be talking to the place down the street too.
What the September numbers say about restaurant hiring
BLS counts a quit as a separation the employee chooses, and it notes that the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers' willingness or ability to leave jobs. In accommodation and food services, the quits rate climbed from 3.6% in August to 5.0% in September. Put simply, about 1 in 20 workers in the industry left their job by choice in a single month. A year earlier, in September 2025, the rate was 3.4% (BLS Table 4).
Here is how the industry compares with the job market as a whole in September 2026 (seasonally adjusted, preliminary):
| Measure (September 2026) | Accommodation and food services | All industries (total nonfarm) |
|---|---|---|
| Job openings | 659,000 (rate 4.4%) | 7.5 million (rate 4.5%) |
| Hires | 879,000 (rate 6.1%) | 5.4 million (rate 3.4%) |
| Quits | 719,000 (rate 5.0%) | 3.4 million (rate 2.1%) |
| Change in quits from August | +197,000 | +321,000 |
Sources: BLS Table 1, Table 2, Table 4.
Two things stand out. Openings in the industry are close to the national rate, so restaurants are not short of jobs to fill compared with everyone else. But the hiring and quitting rates run far above the national average. Restaurant hiring is a treadmill: you are not filling one opening, you are refilling the same shifts again and again.
How to hire restaurant staff when people keep leaving
When workers move this often, the restaurant that answers first usually wins. These steps focus on speed and on fewer surprises after the hire.
1. Write the post a candidate can say yes to. Lead with the hourly pay, typical shifts, and whether tips or meals are included. A line cook scrolling on a break should know in ten seconds whether the job fits their week.
2. Reply the same day. Treat every new application like a reservation request. A short message that says "Thanks, can you talk at 3 today?" beats a perfect reply sent on Friday.
3. Interview in 15 minutes, not 45. For hourly roles, a short video call or a quick in-person chat covers the basics: availability, experience, and how they handle a rush. Save the longer conversation for a paid trial shift if your state allows it.
4. Keep a warm bench. When you hire one server, tell your second choice you would like to stay in touch. With quits this high, you will likely need them within weeks.
5. Run checks consistently. If your policy calls for a background check for certain roles, such as a bartender or a shift lead who handles cash, run it the same way for every finalist and follow your state and local rules on timing.
6. Ask why people leave. A two-question check-in with anyone who quits ("Why now?" and "What would have kept you?") turns turnover into information you can act on.
Consider a hypothetical 40-seat neighborhood bistro that loses two servers in October. If the owner replies to applicants within a few hours, interviews by video the same afternoon, and has a runner-up ready, the weekend schedule is covered. If replies wait until Monday, those candidates are already working somewhere else.
Why ReadyATS
When the whole industry is hiring and quitting at once, speed and a smooth candidate experience are your edge. ReadyATS gives small restaurants a simple way to move fast:
- Same-day live interviews. Schedule interviews with Google Meet or Zoom links, so a candidate who applies at lunch can talk with you before dinner service.
- Checkr background checks in one place. Order background checks through the ReadyATS Checkr integration instead of juggling a separate portal.
- Checkr Identity Verification. Through that same integration, order Checkr IDV, which matches a live selfie to a government ID, so the person who shows up for the first shift is the person you interviewed.
No long-term commitment, cancel anytime. You can be set up before Friday's dinner rush.
Your best candidates are deciding this week. Make sure your reply gets there first.
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For more on screening, read our guide to ATS and background check integrations.
FAQ
How do I hire restaurant staff quickly?
Post clear pay and shifts, reply to every applicant the same day, hold short video or in-person interviews, and keep a runner-up candidate in touch. Speed matters because hospitality workers are changing jobs often.
Why is it so hard to keep restaurant workers right now?
BLS data for September 2026 show 719,000 quits in accommodation and food services, a quits rate of 5.0%, compared with 2.1% for all industries. Workers in the industry are leaving jobs by choice far more often than average.
Are restaurants still hiring in fall 2026?
Yes. Hires in accommodation and food services rose by 158,000 to 879,000 in September 2026, and the industry had 659,000 job openings at the end of the month, according to BLS.
Should a small restaurant run background checks on new hires?
That depends on your policy, the role, and state and local law. If you do run them, apply the same process to every finalist. ReadyATS lets you order Checkr background checks and Checkr Identity Verification from one place.