Restaurants are expected to add 428,000 jobs this summer season, a 4.6 percent increase over the March 2010 employment level, according to National Restaurant Association projections released June 14. "In these tough economic times, restaurants are playing an ever more important role in their communities, creating jobs and economic opportunity for our nation," said NRA president & CEO Dawn Sweeney in a news release. "Every dollar spent in restaurants generates an additional $2.05 spent in the overall economy." The restaurant industry is usually the nation's second-largest creator of summer jobs – ranking behind only the construction industry. Last year, eating and drinking places added 422,100 jobs (a 4.6 percent increase), and 352,900 jobs (3.7 percent increase) during the 2008 summer season. Last year, however, the construction sector only added 259,300 jobs during the 2009 summer season, well below hiring in the restaurant industry. The states projected to add the most eating and drinking place jobs during the 2010 summer season are New York (38,300), California (30,400), Texas (28,100), Massachusetts (24,800), New Jersey (24,600), Illinois (19,900), Ohio (19,800) and Michigan (18,600). The states projected to register the largest proportional employment increase during the 2010 summer season are Maine (30.9 percent increase) and Alaska (26.0 percent increase). View a PDF ofsummer employment projections by state, and ofsummer employment trends.