There’s a reason why New York is considered “the city that never sleeps.” A recent report put out by the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) shows that reputation is paying off big toward the city’s economy. The report evaluated the economic performance of 25,000 establishments across the boroughs that fit within the definition of having “activity occurring between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in five key subsectors—food service, bars, arts and culture, venues, and sports and recreation.”
According to the report, New York City’s nightlife generated $35.1 billion in total economic output in 2016. With that, the city’s nightlife industry also helped support 299,000 jobs with $13.1 billion in employee wages and $697 million in tax revenue.
The report also shows that Brooklyn, specifically, is experiencing a big growth in the nightlife sector—the largest compared to the other four boroughs. As of 2016, Brooklyn boasts 5,500 nightlife establishments with an annual increase rate of 5 percent. There were 31,100 direct nightlife jobs supporting $608 million in wages, with growth rates of 10 and 15 percent annually, which is double the citywide rate. Total liquor licenses have also grown at an annual rate of 4 percent since 2000. There were 2,586 active licenses in Brooklyn last year.




