U.S. Hiring Trends for Fall 2020 | #hrmanagement #hrexecutive

It’s been an unprecedented time for the American workforce in 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although the country has seen recessions and depressions before, one of the most unique aspects of this current one has been the uneven job losses by industry. Some sectors have been devastated (eg. travel) while others have been unexpectedly thriving.

One such sector has been Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs) that has seen a business boom due to a trifecta of business-positive events: the uptick in take out & delivery, the pressure for less expensive meals, and a craving for comfort food. Because of this, although unemployment reached the highs of the Great Depression, QSRs have had a difficult time staffing over the past few months as demand soared.

To capture this moment in time, Workstream performed a survey of over 3,000 QSR hiring managers as a snapshot of what the hiring trends are for an industry that’s paradoxically doing well during a global economic downturn. The infographic illustrates many key points:

• Over half of QSRs are struggling to hire the right hourly workers
• More applicants aren’t necessarily a solution to staffing issues
• Video technology is being rapidly adopted for interview solutions
• And more

This data also hints at a trend that may affect businesses like QSRs that rely on hourly workers, especially as we head into the holiday season. Staffing similarly skilled workers (eg. delivery drivers, warehouse workers, etc) look to be competitive as nearly all companies are relying on delivery during this shopping season.

In short, hiring enough workers in the next few months looks to be a continuing problem for industries similar to QSRs. As a leader in the hiring automation space, Workstream will continue to monitor the situation and update our reports as more data comes in. For now, businesses should start hiring ASAP to fill seasonal positions, as the competition looks to be fierce in the near future.