Corona crisis: the number of employees in the catering industry is falling significantly

The number of employees in the catering industry has fallen significantly in view of the corona pandemic.

As the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced on Friday, between January and October 2021 the number of staff decreased by 23.4 percent compared to the same period in 2019, i.e. before the pandemic began.

Compared to the same period last year, there was a minus of 11.6 percent.

The situation was particularly dramatic in the lockdown months at the beginning of last year, and according to the Federal Office, a low was reached in February 2021. Pubs and bars in particular were affected - from January to October 2021 they reduced their staff by 23.6 percent compared to the same period last year, compared to almost half in 2019, namely 44.7 percent. Establishments that offered food were better able to retain their staff. The decline was less for restaurants, snack bars and cafés, and caterers have come through the crisis comparatively best so far.

The Corona crisis particularly affected those in marginal part-time employment, who made up more than a third of the total workforce of 1.07 million people in 2020.

They have worked particularly often in the pubs, which have been badly affected by the pandemic.

The Federal Office pointed out that people on short-time work continue to be considered employees.

The number of short-time workers in Germany had recently risen sharply in the midst of the new corona wave.

According to estimates by the Munich-based Ifo Institute, it increased to 879,000 people in December, from 712,000 in the previous month.

That is 2.6 percent of the workforce, after 2.1 percent in November.

The hospitality and retail trades, which are suffering from the current Corona requirements, are particularly affected.

The Federal Employment Agency had also recently recorded applications for short-time work for significantly more employees.

However, the number is currently a long way from its peak: In April 2020, around six million employees in Germany were on short-time work, in winter 2020/2021 there were at least around three million.