Australian pubs, restaurants, cafes and hotels are in need of 200,000 workers to fill critical staff shortages which could otherwise leave them lacking for the peak hospitality season.
The hospitality sector has experienced significant challenges over the last three years, with the pandemic shrinking the pool of overseas workers and forcing many Australians to leave the industry for more stable work.
News of the whopping 200,000 vacancies was revealed by job search platform Barcats, which specialises in linking staff with jobseeking venues.
“The hospitality industry in Australia is worth $71.3 billion, and right now, it is time to call in the reinforcements because if we are any chance of seeing hospitality soar this summer, we need support,” Barcats Australia CEO Jeffrey Williams said.
“We need 200,000 new workers, which is three times the size of the entire Australian Defence Force.”
Mr Williams said ultimately it’s the customers who will suffer if the vacancies aren’t filled.
“Customers face a 25 per cent increase in wait times, reservation unavailability, increased costs, limited menus and opening hours and a decline in service quality,” he said.
Currently there are around 1500 bartender vacancies in Melbourne and Sydney, according to Barcats’ data.
An incredible 3000 wait staff vacancies need filling in Melbourne while there are 1000 openings for similar roles in western Sydney alone.
Melbourne is also looking for another 2500 kitchen staff and Sydney is short at least 2500 baristas.
“We want this to be a blockbuster summer, and this is an industry that hires across a variety of ages – from university students, to retirees, and some of the 180,000 graduating Year 12 students across the nation. We need you to sign up and be part of this hospitality army,” Mr Williams said.
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