Half a million hospitality jobs to be created by 2022

There has been a significant rise in the number of jobs advertised in the hospitality sector this year, alongside an increase in salaries, according to new data.

According to job site Reed’s 2019 Hospitality & Leisure Salary Guide, bar and restaurant openings have increased faster than any other sector. The number of jobs advertised in hospitality rose by 15% in 2018, ahead of both technology and HR which were both recorded at 10%.

In a study of 10 million advertised roles since the start of 2015, Reed found that hospitality job growth was ahead of the national average, which stood at 9%.

Alongside HR, hospitality was one of few industries which continued to see the number of advertised roles grow year-on-year.

The number of advertised roles for commis chefs rose by 40% to more than 1,000, while operations manager openings rose 3%.

Area manager of Reed Hospitality & Leisure, Bill Dawes, said the sector is in “great health”, although business owners still need to navigate Brexit uncertainty, while high street chains continue to struggle.

“Innovative outlets are popping up everywhere, with technology supporting both back and front-of-house tasks,” he said, adding that training, recruitment and retention are improving significantly, “thanks in large part to new academies.”

“The only concerns in the sector are uncertainty over Brexit, and struggling high street chains.”

The British Hospitality Association predicts there will be another 500,000 hospitality jobs created by 2022, “demonstrating the growth and expansion of the sector in the coming years,” he added, “and companies are employing people on permanent contracts, so there still remains an undercurrent of confidence that this consumer dependent industry is strong enough to thrive after Brexit.”

The figures showed a significant rise in some job openings, with 8.5% for executive chefs, 7.8% for hotel managers.

Dawes added: “Companies have a better view of the staff they need and this has involved heavier investments in HR, retention and internal recruiters hired to attract candidates.

“This has coincided with greater investment in training to convince new workers that this industry is not a short term career option.

Despite the current climate on the high street, Dawes said hospitality is an “attractive and growing sector,” highlighting the growth of niche, concept-driven outlets that offer extra activities such as bowling or ping pong.

“New food-to-go outlets are continuing to grow after rapid influx in the last few years, and luxury sports retail offerings, such as private ten-pin bowling and Bounce for ping-pong are also providing quality food and beverages. There are lots of new ideas and plenty of opportunities for new recruits.”