(Wines&Vines) - With a record harvest of 230,000 tons starting to hit Washington crush pads, juicing up production across the state, the state’s wine industry is facing mixed news on the employment front.

On one hand, demand for skilled workers means new graduates holding degrees, diplomas and certificates in viticulture and enology are almost sure to find work.

On the other, a recent study by Agri-Business Consultants LLC of Prosser indicates the industry needs to take dramatic action if it aims to attract enough people to meet projected job openings.

The study projects total direct employment in the industry to hit 20,583 full-time equivalent positions (FTEs) in 2018, up from an estimate of 15,809 in 2013.

The projected gain of 4,774 positions reflects the industry’s changed labor outlook since the last study in 2008 (see “Washington Grapples with Labor Supply”).  

While it viewed the industry’s growth as slowing, the 2008 study estimated that the industry employed a total of 14,000 people and would add 1,080 to 1,791 workers at wineries and vineyards through 2013. The new projections indicate a more bullish outlook, with an overall net gain in employment at state wineries and vineyards of up to 6,463 FTEs between 2013 and 2018. That outstrips growth in employment for the sector as a whole, and works out to a requirement for between 1,219 and 3,600 FTEs at the state’s wineries, and 969 to 2,863 in the state’s vineyards. And that’s just the net demand—it doesn’t include workers required to replace those leaving the sector due to age or other circumstances. 

“The highest level of need is for those below an associate’s (degree) level, and they already are having difficulties meeting labor needs at existing production. So if it continues to grow, they’re really going to struggle,” said Trent Ball, a partner at Agri-Business Consultants and chair of the agriculture program at Yakima Valley Community College.