“The National Restaurant Association reports that restaurants have added more than 560,000 jobs since the beginning of the employment recovery, with more than 200,000 of those positions created in the last six months. As the nation’s second-largest private sector employer with a workforce of nearly 13 million – almost 10 percent of the U.S. workforce – the restaurant industry continues to be one of the strongest job creators in the nation and a pillar of the overall economy.”

‘“The restaurant industry strongly contributes to the health of our nation’s economy by driving job growth across industry segments, and providing rewarding career and employment opportunities for millions,’ said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. ‘Whether in the kitchen or the corporate office, restaurants offer a variety of career paths, including one toward the American Dream of entrepreneurship and owning your own business.”’

“Restaurants added more than 100,000 jobs in two consecutive quarters for the first time on record, according to National Restaurant Association analysis of preliminary figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Eating and drinking places – the primary component of the restaurant industry, which accounts for roughly three-fourths of the total restaurant and foodservice workforce – added 103,100 jobs in the first quarter of 2012, which followed a gain of 101,400 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2011.”