The drinks giant, whose brands include Guinness. Johnnie Walker, and Smirnoff revealed that it had an average of 27,938 full-time employees on a full-time equivalent basis in the year to 30 June 2026 down from 29,860 the previous year.
At 30 June 2026, on a full-time equivalent basis, the group had 27,972 (2025 – 29,632; 2024 – 30,092) employees.
The average number of employees of the group, including part-time employees, for the year was 28,400 (2025 – 30,232; 2024 – 30,839).
Between 2024 to 2025 the company also saw a reduction in average full-time employees from 30,367 to 29,860.
Earlier this month Diageo revealed it was conducting a $1.2bn restructuring programme to deliver $850 million savings over two years.
The news comes as Diageo reported falling net sales to $19.6bn from $20.2bn the previous year.
The company had said that while it saw growth in Europe, Latin American & Caribbean (LAC) and Africa this was offset by weakness in North America and Asia Pacific.
Despite this Guinness, Smirnoff RTD and Johnnie Walker were highlighted as “standout performers” by the company.
In the annual report the company said that spirits including RTDs and premium beer were “resilient categories” with significant growth potential.
Diageo chair Sir John Manzoni said the operating environment has remained volatile, largely owing to continued macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.
He said: “Consumer confidence remains fragile across many developed markets, which in turn has an impact on willingness to spend. North America has continued to experience softer demand, while geopolitical uncertainty, including ongoing conflict in the Middle East and tensions affecting global trade, have added further complexity.”
Sir Dave Lewis Chief executive said: “There is no denying that fiscal 26 was a challenging year, particularly given the macroeconomic backdrop and continued pressure on consumer wallets. There are some positives, we have seen growth in three out of five of our regions, however, we have been uncompetitive in our largest market, North America, and urgent work is underway to address this.”
