Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations in Wood Buffalo - Cold Lake

The employment outlook will be Limited for food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (NOC 65201) in the Wood Buffalo - Cold Lake region for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
• High employee turnover in this occupation could lead to additional employment opportunities.

• The accommodation and food services industry had the highest job vacancy rate among industries in the province over the first half of 2025, indicating that there are employment opportunities going unfilled.
• Population growth should improve the demand for this occupation. However, restaurants remain sensitive to the discretionary spending of consumers, which is dependent on economic conditions. 
• Food service employers are having an increasingly difficult time recruiting and retaining employees at all levels, meaning that hiring requirements may be more flexible, at least over the near-term.
• Employment opportunities for this occupation are moderate, as economic uncertainty may curb discretionary spending and population growth is expected to slow down over the next few years.

Here are some key facts about food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations in the Wood Buffalo - Cold Lake region:

• Approximately 1,230 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
• Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): 82%
  • Retail Trade (NAICS 44-45): 5%