Job prospects Headwaiter/headwaitress - Food And Beverage Services in Prince Edward Island

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "headwaiter/headwaitress - food and beverage services" in Prince Edward Island or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Prince Edward Island

These outlooks were updated on December 11, 2024.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Food and beverage servers (NOC 65200) in Prince Edward Island for the 2024-2026 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
• High employee turnover in this occupation could lead to additional employment opportunities.
• Due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities tend to be more favourable during the summer months.

The Island economy is projected to expand at a respectable pace over the forecast period which should support employment growth in this occupation. This is based on the expectation that interest rates will continue to fall which will encourage more consumer spending and business investment. Population growth has been, and continues to be, a key economic driver supporting employment in the sector. However, the announcement by the federal government to reduce immigration targets will mean a slowdown in population growth over the forecast period. Although the impact of this policy is uncertain at this time, it could have a moderating affect on employment growth. Employment demand for this occupation is subject to considerable seasonality, with strongest demand for workers during the busy tourism months.

There is some seasonality in this occupation with job prospects better during the spring to summer months. Food and beverage servers may be required to work various shifts including evenings, weekends and holidays, so flexibility is an asset. This occupation is a good source of employment opportunities for students during the busy tourist season. 

There are recruitment problems in this occupation. While it is relatively easy to access this occupation, many servers leave it as soon as they find employment that offers better working conditions. The traditional pool of candidates is shrinking owing to wages that are less and less competitive in a growing labour market and the demographic decline of the number of young people.

Here are some key facts about Food and beverage servers in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 600 people work in this occupation.
• Food and beverage servers mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Food services and drinking places (NAICS 722): 88%
  • Accommodation services (NAICS 721): 8%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 39% compared to 84% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 61% compared to 16% for all occupations
• 26% of food and beverage servers work all year, while 74% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 31 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of food and beverage servers are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 20% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 80% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 18% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 45% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 24% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 8% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "headwaiter/headwaitress - food and beverage services" Food and beverage servers (NOC 65200) or across Canada.

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