Late last week, the latest and greatest data on the nation’s jobless rate – and job growth – were issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. By now, you’ve likely read that, for the month of April, 115,000 jobs were added to private and public payrolls, with the unemployment rate dropping ever-so-slightly to 8.1 percent.  But you may not have read about what role the food and beverage industry played in the nation’s job growth.  According to a report issued by FoodAndBeveragePeople.com, the food and beverage industry added more than 46,000 jobs – which is more than 40 percent of all job growth in April.

We’ve often blogged about the fact that our industry plays an important role in our nation’s economy – this is simply further proof.  Our industry has a direct economic impact of $118.9 billion, provides more than 227,000 jobs and helps to support hundreds of thousands more that depend, in part, on beverage sales for their livelihoods.  We’re proud of our industry – and the many great companies we have the honor of representing each and every day.  We are American companies, making American products, with American workers, in America’s hometowns – and we’re having an impact on the American economy.