Craft Brewing Contributed $79 Billion To 2018 US Economy And Created 560,000 Jobs

Any way you measure it, that is a lot of suds. JL

Gary Stoller reports in Forbes:

The craft brewing industry contributed $79.1 billion to the U.S. economy and was responsible for nearly 560,000 jobs in 2018.  Of 559,545 jobs provided by craft brewing, 150,000 were located at the breweries. Workers for craft breweries received more than $5 billion in wages and benefits during the year. Craft breweries in California, which has more breweries than any other state, made the biggest economic contribution — $9 billion. Rounding out the Top 5 contributors were breweries in Pennsylvania, $6.3 billion; Texas, $5.1 billion; New York, $4.1 billion, and Florida, $3.6 billion.

America's thirst for craft beer is making a huge economic impact, a new report reveals.

The craft brewing industry contributed $79.1 billion to the U.S. economy and was responsible for nearly 560,000 jobs, according to the 2018 Economic Impact Report of the Brewers Association. The trade association represents more than 5,000 craft breweries in the USA.

"With a strong presence across the 50 states and the District of Columbia, craft breweries are a vibrant and flourishing economic force at the local, state and national level," says Bart Watson, the Brewers Association's chief economist. "As consumers continue to demand a wide range of high-quality, full-flavored beers, small and independent craft brewers are meeting this growing demand with innovative offerings, creating high levels of economic value in the process."

The $79.1 billion contribution is a 4% increase from 2017 and represents about 0.4% of the nation's gross domestic product, the Brewers Association report says.

Of 559,545 jobs provided by the craft brewing industry last year, about 150,000 were located at the breweries, according to the report. Workers for craft breweries received more than $5 billion in wages and benefits during the year.

Craft breweries in California, which has more breweries than any other state, made the biggest economic contribution — $9 billion. Rounding out the Top 5 contributors were breweries in Pennsylvania, $6.3 billion; Texas, $5.1 billion; New York, $4.1 billion, and Florida, $3.6 billion.

Wyoming's craft breweries contributed less money to the economy than any other state's breweries. But it wasn't chump change — $193 million.

The report's data, the Brewers Association says, is based on two of its national surveys and government and market data. Only small and independent craft breweries were included.

The association defines a small craft brewery as one with an annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less. An independent brewery is defined as one with less than one quarter of the brewery owned or controlled by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not a craft brewer."

The study did not include craft brewers of ciders and flavored malt beverages.