(PRESS RELEASE) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – April 11, 2023 – Infinite Ingredient, the non-profit working to actively support the mental and physical well-being of individuals working in the craft beverage industry, today released the preliminary results of its first Craft Beer Burnout Survey. This is the first time burnout among those working for craft breweries in the United States has been measured quantitatively.
The preliminary survey results indicate that the anecdotal stories of burnout that have long been whispered about within craft beer are not isolated incidents, but rather indicative of a widespread issue pervasive throughout the industry and touching employees of every job type. Distributed in March 2022, and representing job functions across a brewery, including production, sales, marketing, taproom, administration, and ownership, the preliminary survey results show severe industry burnout across the three main categories frequently measured: Occupational Exhaustion, Depersonalization/Loss of Empathy, and Personal Accomplishment.
For cross-industry contextualization, burnout rates in craft beer measured higher than a similar 2022 survey of U.S. doctors conducted by the American Medical Association.
“For years, those of us working in craft beer have heard tales of burnout, but it’s never an issue that had been analyzed at a macro level so we could have a sense of the significance,” explained Katie Muggli, Founder and Executive Director, Infinite Ingredient. “This survey shows that burnout is a very real and very large challenge facing the industry.”
The survey, completed by 388 people across 42 states, was conducted using a reliable and extensively validated measure of burnout that looks at three key components:
- Occupational Exhaustion – feelings of energy depletion/exhaustion
- Depersonalization/Loss of Empathy – increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of nevagatism/cynicism related to one’s job
- Personal Accomplishment – reduced personal efficacy
A staggering average of one hundred percent of the survey responses indicated a severe degree of burnout across all three measured areas.
“While this is the first time we’ve quantitatively defined burnout in craft beer, and it appears to be a significant issue, it’s important to consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these numbers,” continued Muggli. “We don’t have pre-pandemic data to use as a comparison, but based on results we’ve seen within other industries, the data indicates serious issues specific to craft beer at play. We have a lot of work to do, but given the positive sentiment we’ve seen from the number of responses to the survey, I think there’s a desire within the industry to make change on this front.”
Infinite Ingredient has started to contribute to that change. Founded in the Spring of 2021, the organization was born out of the immense and long overdue need for access to tangible mental health resources for those working in the craft brewing industry. The non-profit group seeks to remove common barriers to mental and physical health resources, and make them available to everyone working for craft beverage producers across the world, starting with craft breweries across the U.S.
The 2022 survey and preliminary report starts an annual analysis Infinite Ingredient will be conducting to measure burnout within craft beer and measure progress of efforts to alleviate burnout. The 2023 survey is now in distribution until Friday, April 21st, 2023 and can be completed here.
About Infinite IngredientInfinite Ingredient is a non-profit founded in 2021 whose mission is to actively support the mental and physical well-being of individuals working in the craft beverage industry through outreach, education, and access to resources. To learn more, visit www.infiniteingredient.org.
