Dive Brief:

• Employment at food and beverage retailers rose by 700 positions in September, down from a slightly larger gain in August, according to preliminary data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
• Restaurants and bars added 61,000 jobs last month — more than four times the level those employers recorded in August.
• The unemployment rate held steady in September at 3.8% as the key indicator stayed below 4% for the 20th month in a row.

Dive Insight:

Employment levels at grocery stores have gyrated throughout 2023 even as the overall job market has remained remarkably strong. The 700 positions the sector tacked on in September followed an upwardly revised gain of 900 in August and was off more sharply from levels recorded earlier in the year.

Grocers added a revised 6,800 jobs in July. That came after the sector shed 4,100 positions in June in a reversal from May, when grocery employment moved ahead by 3,500 positions, according to the BLS.

Job creation in the grocery industry has recently tailed off against a backdrop of unexpectedly robust employment statistics for the broader economy. Overall, employers generated 336,000 non-farm jobs in September, a figure that was well above the 227,000 roles the economy brought on in August and 236,000 positions it added in July.

The grocery sector employed just under 3.25 million people in September, compared with the approximately 15.6 million workers on payrolls across the retail trade sector. Overall, retailer employment was up by 19,700 workers during the month, the BLS said.

General merchandise retailers — a group that includes warehouse clubs, supercenters and department stores — saw employment rise by 4,400 in September. 

Grocers have recently been striving to bring on workers as they look ahead to the holiday shopping period — and eye their workforce needs into 2024. Kroger, for example, announced in September that it was looking to bring on “thousands” of associates in divisions including retail, e-commerce, supply chain, fulfillment, manufacturing, logistics, pharmacy and healthcare.

“With the holidays quickly approaching, we are preparing to hire associates who are passionate about making a difference for our customers and communities for the approaching busy season and beyond,” Tim Massa, Kroger’s senior vice president and chief people officer, said in a statement. “We invite future associates to make a home at Kroger, not just for the holidays.”