Multilingual Matters: Closing the Savings Gap in Hospitality & Food Service
Multilingual Matters: Closing the Savings Gap in Hospitality & Food Service
From the first cup of coffee to the last table cleared, the hospitality and food service industry powers everyday life in America. This industry is one of the largest sectors in the United States, employing nearly 16 million people and accounting for about 10% of the total U.S. workforce.
Despite its size and significance, this industry is among the least likely to offer access to workplace savings benefits, leaving millions of workers without a clear path to potential financial security.
In this industry spotlight, we’ll explore how accessible, multilingual benefits can help close this gap, while also helping hospitality and food service businesses attract talent, improve retention, and better support their teams.
Workforce Snapshot: Language, Access, and Opportunity
The Demographics of the Hospitality & Food Service Industry
More than one in five food service and hospitality workers were born outside the United States.
The hospitality and food service industry is powered by a fast-moving workforce representing a wide range of backgrounds, ages, and languages. Compared to the broader U.S. workforce, these employees are statistically more likely to be younger, from different racial and ethnic groups, foreign-born, and multilingual.
| Category | Food Service Workforce Snapshot |
|---|---|
| Age | Nearly 40% of restaurant and food service employees are under 25, and 60% are younger than 35, making this one of the youngest workforces across all industries. |
| Born Outside of the US | More than one in five food service and hospitality workers were born outside the United States, reflecting the sector’s strong ties to immigrant and first-generation communities. |
| Minority Status | Over 50% of hospitality and food service employees identify as members of racial or ethnic minority groups, compared to just 41% of the total U.S. labor force. |
| Ethnicity | Hispanic, Black or African American, and Asian workers are more highly represented in the food service industry than in the overall U.S. workforce, highlighting the sector’s unique cultural and demographic makeup. Hispanic workers make up 27% of the workforce, while 12% identify as Black or African American, and 7% as Asian. |
| Gender | Female employees represent 55% of the restaurant and food service workforce, compared to 48% across the broader labor market. |
| Education | A quarter of restaurant and food service employees hold less than a high school diploma. |
Top Languages for Hospitality & Food Service Workers
Nearly 30% of workers in this industry speak a language other than English at home, and for many, English is not their primary or most comfortable language on the job. In a sector where staff often juggle multiple roles and communicate in fast-paced environments, clear and accessible communication is essential.
The most commonly spoken non-English languages in hospitality and food service include:
- Spanish
- Chinese
- Vietnamese
- Tagalog
- Arabic
With “Other” languages making up more than 21% of non-English speakers in the industry, it's clear that workers need tools that support a wide range of linguistic backgrounds.
Nearly 30% of workers in this industry speak a language other than English at home.
The State of Financial Wellness for Hospitality & Food Service Employees
The hospitality and food service sector contributes over $1.37 trillion to the U.S. economy and plays a vital role in everyday life. It’s also the second-largest private sector employer in the country: one in every 10 Americans works in the industry.
Despite the industry’s scale and impact, many of its workers face real financial challenges and often lack access to the workplace savings tools that could help them build long-term stability. A combination of lower wages and limited access to benefits has historically made it difficult for workers in this industry to build financial security.
Lower and More Irregular Pay
Hospitality jobs rank among the lowest-paid in the country, with a median annual wage of $34,100, compared to nearly $49,500 across all industries. In addition, 70% of all minimum wage or sub-minimum wage earners in the U.S. work in restaurants, bars, and other food service roles where fluctuating tips often substitute for steady, reliable income.
One in six restaurant workers lives below the poverty line.
For many of these workers, unpredictable wages make it more difficult to budget, save, or build long-term financial security. As a result, many live paycheck to paycheck with little to no cushion for emergencies. Further, one in six restaurant workers lives below the poverty line, and food service employees are two and a half times more likely to experience food insecurity than workers in other sectors.
The Lack of Access to Workplace Retirement Savings Plans
Despite powering a trillion-dollar industry, most hospitality and food service employees have no means to save for retirement through the workplace. In fact, only about 32% of workers in this sector are offered an employer-sponsored retirement plan such as a 401(k), far below the national average for private sector employers, at around 70%.
Only 32% of hospitality and food service workers are offered a workplace retirement plan, far below the national average at 70%.
Participation is even lower: just 15% of employees actually contribute to a plan, marking the lowest participation rate of any U.S. industry. For a workforce that is both multilingual and often navigating benefits for the first time, language barriers may play a major role in participation rates. When a tool and its support are only available in English, many employees may feel uncertain or disconnected from the process.
The Opportunity Ahead
Recruiting and Retaining Start With Retirement
In today’s tight labor market, offering a retirement plan is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a competitive advantage. Restaurants that offer workplace savings may see higher employee retention, lower turnover costs, and stronger team performance.
With fewer than one worker available for every job opening and over 3 million Americans leaving their jobs each month, recruiting and retaining talent has never been more critical. Plus, replacing and retraining employees is incredibly costly, making employee stability a direct driver of profitability.
Replacing a single hourly hospitality worker costs over $5,000 in lost productivity, recruiting, and training.
Replacing a single hourly hospitality worker costs over $5,000 in lost productivity, recruiting, and training. By offering workplace savings, restaurants can increase loyalty and reduce churn, translating to real cost savings.
Beyond attracting and retaining top talent, multilingual workplace savings benefits can also help hospitality and food service employers:
- Engage employees more deeply by offering benefits they can understand and trust in their preferred language.
- Foster a more satisfied, productive workforce with lower turnover and higher morale.
- Measure up to competitors, as more restaurants—from chains to other local businesses—offer retirement benefits.
- Build a stronger company culture that is centered on valuing and supporting team members.
- Support employee financial stability, reducing stress and improving overall well-being.
- Help close the savings gap for one of America’s most vital industries.
How Vestwell’s Multilingual Platform Is Redefining Savings Access
For restaurant owners and operators, offering retirement benefits can feel like one more thing on an already full plate. Vestwell’s platform meets the unique needs of hospitality and food service businesses and their teams without adding extra administrative burden:
“It’s not a lift for me. I have a lot on my plate, so I was looking for something that would involve minimal lift with a lot of return for our employees. That’s exactly what Vestwell does.”
- Savings in 18 Languages and Support in 240+ Languages – Offering retirement benefits is only effective if employees can understand and engage with them. Vestwell’s multilingual platform in 18 languages breaks down one of the biggest barriers to participation, allowing workers to enroll and save confidently in the language they’re most comfortable with. In addition, users can engage with Vestwell support in 240+ languages.
- Seamless Payroll Integrations – Set it and forget it—with payroll integrations, contributions run automatically. Vestwell offers seamless integrations with over 190 payroll providers. The effortless syncing with payroll providers enables accurate and automated contributions, making it easier to deliver accessible, multilingual workplace savings benefits to every team member.
- Mobile On-the-Go Access – Hospitality workers are often on the go; whether they’re in the kitchen, on the floor serving guests, or closing up after a long shift, their savings tools need to match the pace of their day. Vestwell’s mobile-friendly platform gives employees the ability to view balances, adjust contributions, and manage their accounts anytime, anywhere.
- Low Administrative Lift – Designed for busy restaurant owners with no benefits experience, Vestwell’s platform keeps things simple. With streamlined onboarding and minimal ongoing management, it’s a straightforward solution built to deliver maximum impact with minimal lift.
Building a Stronger Future for Hospitality Workers
By combining industry-leading technology, mobile-first access, and multilingual savings tools, Vestwell is helping restaurants of all sizes recruit talent, reduce turnover, and give their teams a real path to long-term financial security.
When employees feel supported in their financial lives, they’re more engaged, more loyal, and more productive. For hospitality businesses, that translates into lower turnover, stronger culture, and a competitive edge in a challenging hiring market.
Don’t lose your best people to businesses offering better benefits. Join the restaurants already using Vestwell to build stronger teams—and a stronger bottom line.
All testimonials and similar statements are made voluntarily and without any cash or non-cash compensation paid by Vestwell in exchange for the testimonial.
