Hiring in the restaurant industry is picking up steam, experts say, and has been a major contributor to the economic recovery across the nation and in the Miami Valley.
Since the beginning of the year, U.S. bars and restaurants have added 143,000 jobs, growing at four times the rate of the rest of the economy, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Restaurant jobs historically have been seen as a bellwether of the economy. When the local economy suffers — the Dayton area lost an estimated 37,000 jobs from 2005 to 2009, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services — so too do local restaurants, as budget-conscious consumers cut back on eating out.
