National Restaurant Association: 2026 Hiring and Staffing Report

Workforce staffing decisions are a strategic business investment—not a short-term cost. 

Hiring and staffing not only shapes a restaurant’s financial performance; it also ensures a strong return on investment. By hiring the right people and supporting them with strong managers and technology, you can create seamless, successful employee experiences. 

Our new “Research Insight: Workforce Hiring and Staffing” report explores why these decisions, along with new technology advancements, matter and how they quantify: 

• ROI 
• Break-even new hire timelines 
• Early turnover and understaffing costs

Although the labor market has stabilized since the “Great Resignation” of 2021, staffing remains a persistent challenge. Improved applicant flow may allow restaurants to prioritize quality over speed, but operators must keep hiring to stay in business. Thus, the need for smarter staffing strategies that support retention, operational stability, and long-term resilience.
This report, sponsored by [LINK]Workday, further reinforces that technology delivers its greatest efficiency and value after hire—by supporting onboarding, scheduling, training, and manager effectiveness.

Overall takeaways

This report—the second of two—offers four key findings:

1. Understaffing is a material drag on growth, service quality, and sales
2. Being down one employee could cost you hundreds of dollars per shift
3. Hiring only pays off if employees stay long enough to become ‘net positive’
4. Technology increases ROI by freeing up managers to lead

Download your copy of our report today and learn how technology can unleash breakthrough efficiencies by reducing recruitment obstacles, improving scheduling, and allowing managers to lead their teams.