Job prospects Restaurant Cook in Québec

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "restaurant cook" in Québec or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Québec

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be good for Cooks (NOC 63200) in Quebec for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are several unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.

Future growth will come mainly from making up for the jobs lost during the health crisis, but this may not be sufficient to return to pre-pandemic levels.

The more difficult economic context and changes in consumer habits could erode business profits and limit the ability of companies to recruit staff. The occupation would also be disadvantaged by the anticipated drop in the number of diners in restaurants with dining rooms in favour of fast food and take-out meals.

In addition, the restaurant industry is facing competition from companies that deliver ready-to-eat boxes and from retail businesses that are diversifying their service offering by opening fast food or ready-to-eat outlets.

After more than two years of travel restrictions, the recovery of leisure tourism will benefit the occupation.

Continued telework in companies and the slow recovery of business tourism could deprive restaurants of a good part of their clientele, especially in city centres.

Nevertheless, turnover may result in additional employment opportunities. People with experience will easily find work. In addition, the scarcity of available labour will improve prospects for less experienced job seekers.

While the employment outlook for this occupation is good at the provincial level, it will be moderate in Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Laurentides, Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec.

Here are some key facts about Cooks in Quebec:

• Approximately 42,200 people work in this occupation.
• Cooks mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Food services and drinking places (NAICS 722): 72%
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 6%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 63% compared to 82% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 37% compared to 18% for all occupations
• 41% of cooks work all year, while 59% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 36 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of cooks are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 56% compared to 52% for all occupations
  • Women: 43% compared to 48% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 31% compared to 12% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 28% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 23% compared to 19% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 12% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Québec by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "restaurant cook" Cooks (NOC 63200) or across Canada.

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