Fast-food restaurants closing as Quebec unemployment rate nears all-time low

With the Quebec unemployment at its lowest rate in decades, Quebec’s fast-food industry is struggling to find staff — with some reducing their hours and others being forced to shut their doors altogether.

The latest casualty is a KFC restaurant in Lévis, Que.

Despite a social media recruitment campaign and wages starting above the $11.25 minimum, the restaurant was unable to lure enough workers to remain in operation, said Richard Hébert, director of operations for Olympus Food Canada, which owns the restaurant.

“Certainly, financially, it is not positive,” he said.

KFC isn’t the only chain struggling due to the labour crunch.

A McDonald’s franchise in Val-d’Or also temporarily closed because it couldn’t find enough staff, and Tim Hortons recently cut its hours at its outlet in Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon.

Unemployment rate near historic low

Quebec’s economy is booming and, in recent months, the unemployment rate has been hovering around six per cent, nearly the lowest it’s been since Statistics Canada began keeping track in 1976.

That means employers can expect to have a tougher time filling both skilled positions and low-wage jobs. Read more…

Fast-food restaurants closing as Quebec unemployment rate nears all-time low