Our new Marketplace Crash Course is here to help. Sign-up for free, learn at your own pace.
Amid worker shortage, Houston restaurant industry seeks immigration reform
Amid worker shortage, Houston restaurant industry seeks immigration reform
Cooks at Hugo’s restaurant in Houston, Texas, prepare for the lunch shift.
Macie Kelly/Houston Public Media
The restaurant business predicts it will add 1.6 million jobs to the labor market by 2030, including more than 204,000 in Texas. As demand for workers grows, restaurants will have fewer young workers to hire from, according to National Restaurant Association projections. They estimate that in the next eight years, the national workforce will lose more than a million workers aged under 25. That age group represents nearly 40% of the restaurant industry’s current workforce, which is why many industry leaders are advocating for immigration reform.
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.