Chipotle looks to hire 15,000 amid continuing labor shortage

Chipotle says it wants to ensure outlets are staffed ahead of the busy March-May period. Restaurant employment is still 3.6% lower than before the pandemic, or 450,000 workers.

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FILE - A sign for the Chipotle restaurant in Pittsburgh’s Market Square is pictured Feb. 8, 2016. Restaurants are beginning the new year with a recurring problem: labor shortages. Chipotle said Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, that it is looking to hire 15,000 people in North America to ensure its stores are staffed up ahead of its busy spring season. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File) ORG XMIT: NYSS503

Chipotle’s hiring campaign will feature employees talking about their career progression in the company in an effort to hire and retain new workers.

AP Photos

Restaurants are beginning the new year with a recurring problem: labor shortages.

Chipotle said Thursday it’s looking to hire 15,000 people in North America to ensure its stores are staffed ahead of its busy spring season. Other chains are also looking for workers: Taco Bell has more than 25,000 listings for crew members posted on its website, and Starbucks has posted more than 10,000 listings for baristas.

U.S. restaurants have added jobs for 24 consecutive months since the height of the pandemic, according to the National Restaurant Association. But restaurant employment is still 3.6% lower than before the pandemic, or the equivalent of 450,000 jobs.

In a November survey of its members, the association found that 62% of restaurant operators said they didn’t have enough employees to satisfy customer demand. Eighty-seven percent of operators said they will hire additional employees in the next year if they find qualified applicants, but 79% said they already have job openings that have been difficult to fill.

Hudson Riehle, the association’s senior vice president for research, said a growing number of jobs — like delivery drivers — outside of the restaurant industry are competing for the same workers. Restaurants are raising pay and adding benefits, but he still doesn’t expect the restaurant industry workforce to return to its pre-pandemic levels this year.

Chipotle’s hiring campaign will feature current employees talking about their career progression within the company, in an effort not only to attract workers but to retain them.

Chipotle’s Chief Restaurant Officer Scott Boatwright said the hiring push aims to ensure that stores are fully staffed between March and May, Chipotle’s busiest months. The Newport Beach, California-based chain also needs employees to meet its growth plans. It wants to double its North American store count to 7,000 over the next several years.

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