Restaurants Ready to Hire New Workers

By Dina Berta

Restaurant operators expect to do more hiring in the second quarter of this year, another sign that the industry may be climbing its way out of the economic slump, according to data in the latest People Report Workforce Index.

More than 40 percent of companies surveyed by People Report plan to add both hourly and management staff in current second quarter, while just 4 percent plan to cut hourly workers and 6 percent plan to reduce management staff, the Workforce Index reported.

"Things are starting to move in the direction we want to see them moving," said Michael Harms, senior business analyst for People Report, a Dallas-based firm that tracks human resource trends for more than 100 restaurant companies.

Operators and human resources executives are encouraging more candidates to apply for jobs.

"We anticipate hiring in the second quarter for various positions at multiple levels systemwide," said Marianne Dowdy, vice president of human resources for Whataburger Restaurants, the more than 700-unit chain based in San Antonio, Texas.

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