Emurse

The food services and drinking places industry, with about 8.9 million wage and salary jobs in 2004, ranks among the Nation's leading employers. Food services and drinking places tend to be small; about 72 percent of the establishments in the industry employed fewer than 20 workers (see chart). As a result, this industry often is considered attractive to individuals who want to own and run their own businesses. An estimated 248,000 self-employed and unpaid family workers were employed in the industry, representing about 3 percent of total employment.

Establishments in this industry, particularly fast-food establishments, are leading employers of teenagers—aged 16 through 19—providing first jobs for many new entrants to the labor force. In 2004, about 21 percent of all workers in food services and drinking places were teenagers, about 5 times the proportion in all industries (table 2). About 45 percent were under age 25, more than 3 times the proportion in all industries.