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Supporting 170,000 people in employment across the hospitality sector, the Drinks Industry is our country’s fastest growing manufacturing sector.
- The drinks industry is an important part of the hospitality sector which supports almost 170,000 people in work.
- The 2016 Census of Population reported a beverages manufacturing total of 5,876 persons. Dublin accounted for 1,786 of these, or 30.4%, with 4,090, or 69.6%, located in the rest of the country. Cork had 1,183 manufacturing jobs in beverages. Five other counties each had beverages manufacturing employments of above 200 persons.
- The drinks industry has a presence right across the country, which ensures employment is spread across rural communities.
- Exporting to over 140 countries, drinks companies provide global employment opportunities to Irish graduates.
- Employment opportunities in the drinks sector include science, marketing, sales, manufacturing, tourism, logistics and many more.
- Many of Ireland’s whiskey distilleries in provincial towns have moved into vacant industrial premises, replacing the enterprises that had previously operated there, as well as lost jobs.
The Experience Economy
The sector contributes €4.5 billion in wages, salaries and employment taxes every year and more than 330,000 people are either employed directly or supported directly by demand from the sector. It accounts for one-fifth of all private sector employment. Irish drinks companies are significant contributors to the Experience Economy.
Furthermore, for every one hundred jobs created directly in Ireland’s Experience Economy, another thirty-eight are supported elsewhere in the Irish economy. The sector has also played a major role in developing the all-island economy and has been an important source of employment North and South of the border.
