Job prospects Restaurant Waiter/waitress - Formal Service in the Outaouais Region

Over the past few years (2021-2023), there was a labour shortage for Food and beverage servers in the Outaouais Region. There were more job openings than workers available to fill them in this occupation.

Source Labour Market Information | Recent Trends Assessment Methodology

The employment outlook will be good for Food and beverage servers (NOC 65200) in the Outaouais region for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Future growth will mainly come from making up for the jobs lost during the health crisis, but this may not be enough to return to the pre-pandemic level.

A more difficult economic context and changes in consumer habits could undermine business profitability and limit the ability of companies to recruit staff. This occupation may therefore be disadvantaged by the anticipated decline in customers in dining rooms or in beverage outlets in favour of fast food, take-out meals and beverages consumed at home.

In addition, the restaurant industry is facing competition from companies that deliver ready-to-eat boxes and from retail businesses that are diversifying their service offering by opening fast food or ready-to-eat outlets.

After more than two years of travel restrictions, the recovery of leisure tourism will be beneficial to the occupation.

However, the continuation of remote work in companies and the slow recovery of business tourism could deprive restaurants of part of their clientele, especially in city centres.

Nonetheless, people with experience will easily find work. In addition, the scarcity of available labour will improve prospects for less experienced job seekers.

While the employment outlook for this occupation is good at the provincial level, it will be moderate in the regions of Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Laurentides, Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec.

Here are some key facts about Food and beverage servers in the Outaouais region:

• Approximately 1,170 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Food and beverage servers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): 93%
  • Information, cultural, arts, entertainment and recreation services (NAICS 51, 71): 6%

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology