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Still, restaurants and bars have been able to hire. As COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease, the leisure and hospitality industry, which includes restaurants and bars, was the biggest job creator in April, with employment in the sector increasing by 331,000, according to the latest Labor Department report. At the same time, the industry has a long way to go to recover, with employment down by 2.8 million, or 16.8%, since February 2020.

In the Houston area, some restaurants have had success by responding quickly to applicants and offering employee referral bonuses, Stewart said.

Rigie said he is \"cautiously optimistic\" for the New York City restaurant industry as more people get vaccinated and the economy continues to open up -- including Broadway in September.

\"It's just a very difficult time to own a restaurant, to work in a restaurant, and it's going to take time,\" he said. \"We're nearly 16 months into this pandemic that has decimated New York City's restaurant industry, and we're not going to recover overnight.\"

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