The job market has undergone many changes in recent years, especially in the food industry. From automation and unionization to increased wages, employers and employees alike have faced a challenging climate. Switch On Business, an informational website for entrepreneurs, has released a study that highlights the percentage of employees who have confidence in the major companies that they work for.
It analyzes big name food & beverage brands like Starbucks, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and more. Suffice it to say, it found that employee confidence is at an all-time low. It aggregated thousands of reviews from Glassdoor for over 100 of America’s biggest companies to determine which had the highest and lowest percentage of confident employees.
When it comes to food & beverage companies, Starbucks and McDonald’s have the lowest percentage of employee confidence — 48% and 46.93% respectively. While it does not delve into reasons why, it’s safe to assume that unionization and on-going global conflicts play a part.
Both companies opposed employee unionization following the pandemic. With growing inflation and rising living costs, minimum-wage employees are struggling to make ends meet. In response, California voted to increase its minimum wage, prompting fast food restaurants to raise prices—Starbucks alone has increased its prices by 7% in 2024.
On the global conflict front, McDonald’s has received backlash for its reported support of Israel following the October 7 attack from Hamas. According to The Guardian, the 225 McDonald’s franchises in Israel were owned by Alonyal Ltd at the time, which announced that it would be donating free meals to the Israeli military.
The study also analyzed which major companies rank lowest in employee confidence from state to state. Starbucks has the lowest in Utah (35%) and Nebraska (27%). McDonald's ranks lowest in four states: North Dakota (40%), Michigan (38%), South Carolina (27%), and New Hampshire (26%). Food company Mondelez International has a 25% employee confidence rating in Texas. And in Florida, Coca-Cola takes the top spot with 38%, though overall its had one of the biggest decreases in positive business outlook.
That said, there are some food and beverage companies with high employee confidence rankings. Costco is number one in four states: Nevada (83%), Montana (43%), Wisconsin (79%), and Indiana (94%). Nebraska shows surprising loyalty to McDonald’s, which maintains a 65% employee confidence rating. Starbucks employees in Hawaii still support the brand with 71%. And in Maine, Pepsico has 70%.
Switch On Business’ study covers much more than just food and beverage companies. There’s tech, insurance, retail, and others. Click here if you’re interested in reading the full report.
