Aussie hospitality job ads rise 35 per cent despite JobKeeper cut, Seek data

Although there were fears the pandemic could have created irreparable damage to jobs in the hospitality industry, the opposite has been true. Here’s why.

Falling victim to strict lockdowns and shuttering restaurants, cafes, bars and venues, jobs in the hospitality and tourism industry were unsurprisingly one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.

Data from the Australia Institute released in February 2021 reported that jobs in ‘accommodation and food service’ fell 11.2 per cent from February to November 2020 with a massive 31.4 per cent of jobs lost from February to May.

According to SEEK’s employment data however, now that restrictions have been eased across the country, jobs in the industry have also made a swift and impressive recovery.

Released earlier this month, their March employment report showed that the hospitality and tourism industry reported a 34.8 per cent month-on-month increase in new listings, making it the top contributor for new jobs that month.

SEEK ANZ’s Managing Director Kendra Banks said easing restrictions and the Easter public holiday would have heavily accounted for the dramatic rise.

“There was an easing of restrictions in some major capitals meaning that customer numbers could be increased,” she said. “Also incentives were introduced discounting flights and accommodation as well as businesses preparing for the Easter holidays.”

Government incentives to encourage dining and increased venue capacities have meant businesses have had to hire more staff to keep up with the demand. Picture: Supplied.

Craveable Brands Group, the parent company of national food brands which include Red Rooster, Oporto and Chicken Treat has also undergone a hiring boom. The hospitality group employs 13,000 people across 580 restaurants and are currently looking to fill 320 roles across their national network of restaurants plus 14 positions in their Sydney office.

Speaking to news.com.au, CEO of Craveable Brands Group Karen Bozic said that their brands had “experienced unprecedented growth, with no signs of slowing down”.

“We can see that Australians are keen to get out and about again after what has been a challenging year for so many of us,” she said.

Capitalising on the growth Craveable Brands Group has experienced, she hopes the new hires will help the company further expand their reach.

“We are excited to be recruiting in a number of high-impact areas from operations to marketing, our corporate functions and particularly in our IT and Data and Insights teams

“We have great brands, big plans and the support of our extended team to get on with it.”

This article was created in sponsorship with SEEK