Are “Happy Hours” Becoming A Thing Of the Past?
The long held tradition of after work “happy hours” is in a long, slow decline. The reasons for the decline are many and varied and, according to Reuters include healthier lifestyles, stiffer drunk-driving laws and bans on smoking in many area taverns. An even bigger reason may or may not surprise you.
One result of the 2008-2009 recession that reduced manufacturing jobs in places such as Milwaukee has been slower traffic at some bars, and sluggish beer sales nationwide over the past four years, according to industry analysts. Contrary to the myth that people go out and drown their sorrows, the truth is that beer drinkers are pretty responsible people and when they have to cut back, they’re cutting back on their pleasures.
via Beer after work at the bar: a U.S. tradition is getting stale | Yahoo! Health.
It has always been thought that the after work happy hour helped build camaraderie but with the tighter job market comes the concern that having one too many could lead to a reputation for having a drinking problem which would put that job at risk.
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