National Coffee Day is Saturday, September 29, and according to a new survey commissioned jointly by Dunkin’ Donuts and CareerBuilder, food preparation and service workers are the professions that need coffee the most, followed by scientists and sales representatives.

The survey results also show that coffee plays a major role in helping professionals perk up at work, as 43 percent of those who drink coffee claim they are less productive without a cup of Joe.

For the third year in a row, Dunkin' Donuts, the national leading quick service retailer of hot brewed/flavored and iced coffee, according to The NPD Group/CREST, and CareerBuilder, the global leader in human capital solutions, partnered to determine the latest coffee consumption trends brewing in the U.S. workplace.

The survey was conducted from August 13–September 6, 2012, and included more than 4,100 workers nationwide.  

According to the results, the professions with the highest proportions of workers stating they are less productive without coffee vary widely. Those who need coffee to get through the workday the most are:

1. Food Preparation/Service Workers

2. Scientists

3. Sales Representatives

4. Marketing/Public Relations Professionals

5. Nurses (Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant)

6. Editors/Writers/Media Workers

7. Business Executives

8. Teachers/ Instructors (K-12)

9. Engineering Technicians/Support

10. IT Managers/Network Administrators

The survey also shows other ways that coffee fits into people’s “daily grind” in the workplace. For example:

• Sixty-three percent of workers who drink coffee actually drink two cups or more each workday. Twenty-eight percent drink three cups or more.
• Coffee helps younger workers stay productive: The majority of younger workers need coffee for energy and motivation, as 62 percent of workers aged 18–24 say they are less productive without coffee, with 58 percent of workers aged 25–34 making the same claim.
• Workers in the Northeast are cup champions: Fifty-five percent of workers claim to drink at least one cup of coffee each workday. Geographically, 64 percent of workers in the Northeast drink at least one cup per day, compared to the South at 54 percent and the Midwest and West at 51 percent.
• Overall, 43 percent of workers who drink coffee claim they are less productive without their cup of Joe. Forty-seven percent of female workers claim they are less productive without coffee, compared to 40 percent of male workers.

 “On National Coffee Day, we celebrate the important and unique role coffee plays as a vital part of our daily lives,” says John Costello, chief global marketing and innovation officer at Dunkin’ Brands. “As these survey results show, coffee continues to become more and more essential in the workplace in particular, helping workers across all professions stay productive throughout the workday.”

Cynthia McIntyre, vice president of marketing & communications at CareerBuilder, says, “There’s a reason why coffee is a staple in the workplace. Workers report that coffee fuels higher energy and productivity, and serves as a means to socialize with colleagues.”