STATEWIDE — A new study shows America’s beer industry has a major impact on Indiana.

The Beer Saves America study, commissioned by the National Beer Wholesalers Association and the Beer Institute, says the beer industry contributes $5.5 billion to the state’s economy annually and supports nearly 36,000 jobs throughout the state.

According to the study, the jobs impacted by the industry account for $1.5 billion each year in wages and benefits. The industry is broken down to three categories: brewers and importers, independent beer distributors, and licensed retailers.

The study was compiled by New York-based independent economics firm John Dunham & Associates, using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, as well as data collected directly from private companies.

You can find the full study right here.

(PHOTO: BeerBottles_Thinkstock_vladans)

