Employment Outlook

The employment outlook will be moderate for Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (65201) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 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.

The prospect for employment in this occupation is good as there continues to be a shortage of workers and unfilled vacancies in the province. Employers rely on the Temporary Foreign Worker program to fill temporary jobs/vacancies in this occupation when qualified Canadian labour is not available. 

Employment opportunities are expected primarily from a high labour turnover rate, which can be explained by difficult working conditions and a young and mobile labour force. While it is relatively easy to enter this occupation, a fair number of counter attendants and kitchen helpers leave it as soon as they find a job that offers better working conditions. The traditional pool of candidates (students and other youth) is shrinking primarily because of difficult working conditions, compensation that is less and less competitive in a growing labour market and the demographic decline in the number of young people. 

Employment growth in this occupation depends mainly on trends in the food service industry, which is very sensitive to the economic situation. Thus, if the value of the Canadian dollar remains low, the continued development of tourism in P.E.I. should boost employment growth for food counter attendants and kitchen helpers. Demographic and social factors such as the growth and aging of the population, the increase in the number of single households and the rising labour market participation of women should continue to slightly boost employment in this occupation over the next few years.

Here are some key facts about Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 1,450 people work in this occupation.
• Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Food services and drinking places (NAICS 722): 70%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 11%
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 9%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 52% compared to 84% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 48% compared to 16% for all occupations
• 41% of food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations work all year, while 59% 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 36 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 28% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 72% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 31% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 41% 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: 15% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • bachelor’s degree: 6% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupation

Source: Job Bank

Prevailing Wages