A workforce recruitment campaign designed to fill post-pandemic vacancies at restaurants and hotels has now led to 687,084 total applications started through the Serving Careers website. Serving Careers was first launched by the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (NCRLA) in October 2023. It was funded by a $5 million appropriation from the state’s American Rescue Plan funds, with oversight and administrative support from the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office (NCPRO).