AQW 17936/17-22


Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry


Tabled Date: 26/04/2021
Answered On Date: 13/05/2021
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail the number of people employed by the meat and dairy industry, broken down by job type.


Answer:
In 2019, the Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES) estimated that there were 15,477 employee jobs in those sectors aligned to the meat and dairy industry. A profile of these employee jobs, by gender and working pattern, is detailed in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Employee jobs in meat and dairy industry
Sector
Male
Female
Total
Full-time
Part-time
Total
Full-time
Part-time
Total
Processing and preserving of meat
3,111
66
3,177
768
33
801
3,978
Processing and preserving of poultry meat
2,547
115
2,662
1,649
*
*
*
Production of meat and poultry meat products
920
65
986
375
*
*
*
Liquid milk and cream production
411
6
417
46
12
58
475
Butter and cheese production
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Manufacture of other milk products
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Manufacture of ice cream
48
5
53
35
5
40
93
Wholesale of live animals
17
94
111
7
38
45
156
Wholesale of meat and meat products
790
46
836
379
59
438
1,274
Wholesale of dairy products, eggs and edible oils and fats
430
25
455
254
32
286
741
Retail sale of meat and meat products in specialised stores
897
241
1,138
238
327
565
1,703
Total
9,956
684
10,701
3,911
865
4,756
15,477
Data have been suppressed for disclosure purposes
In 2017, DAERA’s Migrant Labour and Trade Enquiry estimated that there were 24,328 employees employed in the food and drinks processing sector. A profile of the occupation of all employees in this sector is detailed in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Occupation profile of food and drinks processing sector
Occupation
% of all employees
Managers, Directors and senior officials
6.2%
Administrative and secretarial occupations
9.6%
Elementary occupations  (Unskilled, miscellaneous or other occupations)
5.1%
Process, plant and machine operatives
66.5%
Sales and customer service occupations
4.3%
Caring, Leisure and other service occupations
0.5%
Skilled trades occupations
4.1%
Associate professional and technical occupations
3.1%
Professional occupations
0.7%
Total
100%