Pub employment rises despite closures

A new report has found that pub employment has risen in the last 10 years despite a quarter of pubs closing during that time.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) report, the increase in employment could be down to the increase in pubs serving food, which is more labor intensive. More than 11,000 pubs have closed in the last 10 years according to the report, leaving around 39,000 in the UK.

Areas on the edge of big cities have seen their pub numbers half since 2001. The number of people employed in pub jobs dipped during the economic downturn, however there are now 6% more people employed in pub work than in 2008. The largest increases were seen in larger pubs who are beginning to offer more extensive food menus.

Total employment in rural pubs has also seen a significant increase currently sitting 17% higher than in 2008, employment in urban pubs only rose by 4% during the same period. Jobs in the sector are still low paid, with around 70% of workers in pubs and bars being paid less than the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended Living Wage, set at £10.55 per hour in London and £9 per hour elsewhere.