To address the image of low wages and long hours in the restaurant sector, many operators have raised salaries repeatedly over the past few years. Additionally, the minimum wage is set to increase in 2025, but these measures have yet to resolve the significant labor shortages faced by the industry.

As one of the sectors most impacted by the labor shortage crisis, restaurant operators are compelled to find various ways to resolve staffing issues. A manager from a chain restaurant thanked employees during a weekly meeting, stating that due to meeting sales targets, the boss would treat everyone to a meal, thereby boosting morale.

The chain's president noted that despite raising wages to over NT$250 per hour, attracting job seekers remains a challenge. The difficulty of recruiting talent has changed significantly over the past decade, as it used to be simpler to filter applicants based on education and experience.

Labor market experts have also highlighted that the restaurant sector faces a shortage of approximately 210,000 workers, suggesting that more flexible scheduling might attract part-time workers and respond to this labor shortfall.

To retain talent, many restaurant chains are not just raising salaries but are also engaging older workers and providing workplace experience opportunities to improve labor shortages. By adopting innovative thinking, the restaurant industry hopes to overcome traditional barriers to staffing issues.