The 12% reduction compares with layoffs of 1.7% for limited-service places, according to federal data.
Full-service restaurants in Washington, D.C., have cut 3,700 jobs—about 12% of their workforce—since the jurisdiction began rolling back its tip credit in May 2023, according to data newly released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The federal agency did not draw a correlation between the drop in jobs and the reduction in the credit, which fell in May and then again in July of last year. Restaurants there have also been affected by a slow return of government workers and employees of companies that interact with the government to their downtown offices. Operators say traffic has also been dampened by fears about rising nighttime crime.
But restaurants without table service have not cut jobs nearly as aggressively as their full-service counterparts have. Between May 1 of last year and the end of January 24, limited-service places have eliminated 400 positions, or just 1.7% of their collective payrolls.