New UK report says up to 90,000 nightlife sector jobs have been lost due to COVID

A new report from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) in the UK has revealed that nearly 90,000 jobs have been lost in the nightlife sector there due to Covid-19.

The report showed 86,000 job losses in the night time cultural economy sector since 2019, and also calls for an extension to the 12.5 per cent rate of VAT on hospitality until 2024, door sales to be included in the reduced rate of VAT, and for no increases in alcohol duties.

In a statement following the publication of the report, CEO of the NTIA Michael Kill said: "We are pleased to be able to present today this important and timely piece of work quantifying, for the first time, the size of the night time economy in the UK.

"Important, because in my 25-year career working in UK nightlife, it has always struck me as so odd that we did not have a proper accounting of the value of this important sector. Today’s report puts that right, and is long overdue."

The Irish hospitality industry are facing similar losses, with the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) earlier this year warning that up to 30% of restaurant and pub workers could be lost to the industry due to Covid 19.

In the Report on the impact of Covid-19 on the Hospitality and Entertainment sectors, published in July by the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media, the Irish Hotels Federation reported a drop of 59% of jobs, or 38,650, in the hotels sector since summer 2019.