According to Gallup, consumers have voted restaurants as their highest regarded industry. Restaurants and computer industries have vied for the top two positions since 2001.

Top-Rated U.S. Business Sectors

Source: Gallup

Gallup Industry Poll

Source: Gallup

Research by the National Restaurant Association reveals that nine in ten consumers say they enjoy going to restaurants. Additionally, one half of all adults have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives. The association says that as the country’s second largest private sector employer, restaurants continue to be economic drivers, employing nearly 10 percent of America’s workforce.

Employment in the Food Services and Drinking Places Sector

The latest employment figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that employment in food services and drinking places was up by 34,000 in August 2016. The industry has added 312,000 jobs so far this year. Additionally, sales in the sector were up 0.9 percent in August 2016, after a relatively flat month in July 2016.

States with the Fastest Job Growth in Restaurants

Source: Statista