What a performance! Stellar employment boom continues for the UK’s Creative Industries
The UK’s Creative Industries are continuing to outstrip other employment sectors in the UK, new Government figures reveal
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- Jobs in the Creative Industries have increased three times faster than the UK average
- Diversity in the Creative Industries workplace up by almost 45 per cent - more than double that of wider jobs market
- Creative Industries now generating almost £10m an hour for the UK economy
Since 2011, the number of jobs in the Creative Industries has risen by nearly 20 per cent and now account for 1.9 million jobs - nearly triple the rate of the UK economy as a whole.
Within the Creative Industries, occupations which have particularly flourished include dancers and choreographers (up by 41 per cent), artists (up by 21 per cent), and programmers and software developers (up by 30 per cent).
These latest figures come on the back of government statistics, published earlier this year, revealed that the UK’s Creative Industries now contribute a staggering £84 billion a year - almost £10m an hour - to our economy, cementing the sector as a force to be reckoned with.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport John Whittingdale said:
The Creative Industries are one of the UK’s greatest success stories.
That success is built upon the extraordinary talent which exists in this country, an amazing cultural heritage, the English language and a tax system designed to support and encourage growth in the creative sector.
None of this is changed by the UK’s decision to leave the EU and I am confident that our creative industries will continue to thrive and take advantage of the new opportunities which are opening up to do business across the world.
The number of BAME workers in the Creative Industries has also rocketed by almost 44 per cent since 2011, with the sector actively embracing a more diverse workforce. That’s more than double the rate of the rest of the UK employment sector, which has risen by around 18 per cent. Sectors reporting the most dramatic increases in BAME representation include advertising and marketing (up by 61.3 per cent), music and the performing and visual arts (up by 59.4 per cent) and museums, galleries and libraries (up by 22.2 per cent).
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said:
We made it clear to the sector that more needed to be done to improve diversity and I’m pleased that these figures show progress with the Creative Industries taking notice and working hard to address this issue. But we want to see further progress in this sector.
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and BFI have all introduced new strategies to increase diversity both on and off screen and in senior positions. Organisations such as The Arts Council have pledged to boost diversity within the arts through new multi-million pound funding schemes. In addition, Project Diamond is due to be launched later this year, which will provide diversity data both on and off screen.
The latest statistics also reveal that our services are highly sought after overseas, with exports of services from the UK’s Creative Industries increasing more than four times the rate of the UK total - contributing almost £20bn to the UK economy.
This news comes as the industry members of the Creative Industries Council (CIC) publishes Create Together, their latest strategy for the sector. The strategy, only the second if its kind for the Creative Industries, sets out the achievements of the industry since publication of Create UK in 2014 and a range of guiding principles, aims, strategic goals and success measures for the future.
ENDS
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