Wine and spirits wholesalers in the U.S. employ 87,722 Americans in 3,120 locations, paying about $7.45 billion in wages, according to a just-released economic impact study from Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America.
Those 87,722 direct employees are just the tip of the iceberg, though. Some 2,480,091 people depend on the production, distribution and sale of wine and spirits for their livelihoods, the study says, adding:
“These are American taxpayers with American jobs, ranging from vintners to importers to truck drivers to wait staff in bars and restaurants throughout the country,” it says, adding: “This equal to 16% of the U.S. working population.
Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau collects $$5.68 billion in federal excise taxes, and state and local governments collect an additional $43.64 billion in consumer and business taxes annually.