Source:  MEATINGPLACE.COM, 6/15/09

Meat and poultry packers, processors, wholesalers and retailers contribute $832.4 billion a year to the U.S. economy, equal to 5.8 percent of the nation's gross domestic product, according to new research by the American Meat Institute.

The analysis also revealed the meat and poultry industry directly employs 1.8 million people, paying $45.5 billion in wages and benefits.

The complete findings of AMI's Economic Impact Study, available at MeatFuelsAmerica.com, include state-by-state and congressional district breakdowns intended to help the media, lawmakers and policymakers understand the potential impact of public policy initiatives in their states and districts.

Among the findings:

• Direct taxes paid by companies and their employees provide more than $81.2 billion in revenues to federal, state and local governments. In addition, the consumption of meat and poultry generates $2.4 billion in state sales taxes.
• An estimated 524,000 people have jobs in production and packing, importing operations, sales, packaging and direct distribution of meat and poultry products.
• Wholesaling directly employs an estimated 63,000 people across all states, and 1,227,600 employees' retail jobs depend on the sale of meat and poultry products to the public.
• The meat and poultry industry, directly and indirectly, provides nearly 6.2 million jobs, generating almost $200 billion in wages and benefits.

"While meat and poultry plants are not located in every American city, our products are sold throughout the country, thereby creating millions of jobs and economic impact nationwide," said Rod Brenneman, CEO of Seaboard Foods in Guymon, Okla., and chairman of AMI, in a news release.

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