DCMS and digital sector productivity 2022 (provisional)
Official Statistics in development providing measures of labour productivity in DCMS sectors and the digital sector .
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About
These official statistics in development provide provisional estimates of the productivity of DCMS sectors for 2022, measured by gross value added (GVA) per filled job and by GVA per hour worked, and separately for the digital sector.
This is the first time we have published output per hour, which has the advantage of accounting for different working patterns. We have published output per job once before, as earlier official statistics in development. These estimates should not be directly compared to the previously published ones, as the methodology has since changed and the data used to produce the older estimates has since been substantially revised.
Content
DCMS sectors
These statistics cover productivity in the following DCMS sectors:
- creative industries
- cultural sector
- gambling
- sport
Users should note that there is overlap between DCMS sector definitions and that several cultural sector industries are simultaneously creative industries.
A definition for each sector is available in the tables published alongside this release. Further information on all these sectors is available in the associated technical report above along with details of methods and data limitations.
Suitable data for 2022 is not currently available for the tourism sector, so provisional 2022 estimates exclude tourism.
Productivity estimates for civil society are not available, as our definitions for civil society jobs, hours worked and GVA are incompatible. Work is ongoing to develop estimates.
Headline findings:
In 2022:
- Output per hour in included DCMS sectors (creative industries, culture, sport and gambling) was £31, compared to £40 for the UK as a whole. This means that for DCMS sectors compared to the UK average, more hours of work are needed to generate the same amount of GVA.
- Output per job in included DCMS sectors was £56,000, while the UK average was £65,000. This means that each filled job generates less GVA in DCMS sectors than the average.
Digital sector:
These statistics also cover productivity in the following digital sectors;
- digital sector
- telecoms
Users should note that there is overlap between these two sectors’ definitions. Specifically: the telecoms sector sits wholly within the digital sector.
Headline findings:
In 2022:
- Output per hour in the digital sector was £47, compared to £40 for the UK as a whole. This means that for the digital sector compared to the UK average, fewer hours of work are needed to generate the same amount of GVA.
- Output per job in the digital sector was £92,000, compared to £65,000 for the UK as a whole.This means that each filled job generates more GVA in the digital sector than the UK average.
Released
First published on 28 March 2024.
Official statistics in development: Call for Feedback
These statistics are labelled as official statistics in development. Official statistics in development are official statistics that are undergoing development and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics. These productivity estimates are designed to complement our other economic estimates and to give a deeper understanding of the economic performance of DCMS sectors to the UK economy. They are being published as official statistics in development because:
- they include a new measure of productivity (output per hour) and updated methodology for output per job, the measure used for DCMS 2019 productivity estimates, previously published.
- the methodology is still in development, including exploring the possibility of producing estimates for civil society
- we will be seeking user feedback on the usefulness of the statistics, the suitability of the methodology used and how clearly the statistics are communicated, including explanations about quality.
We expect to make further methodological improvements and implement changes to the DCMS productivity estimates after seeking user feedback. These changes will be made by the next annual productivity release, expected in 2024/2025. At this point we will make an assessment about whether the statistics still remain in development or if the label can be removed.
Statistics for the digital sector are presented separately as responsibility for these policy areas now sits with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). From April 2024, DSIT will be responsible for publishing and developing digital sector statistics, including any productivity estimates.
We welcome feedback on these statistics. We particularly welcome views on:
- the methodology and data sources used
- the presentation of these measures and explanations about the quality of the data
- suggestions for how these statistics could be further improved
- how you are using the estimates
For feedback on productivity estimates for DCMS sectors, please contact evidence@dcms.gov.uk by 24th May 2024.
For feedback on productivity estimates for the digital sector, please contact DSIT at economicestimates@dsit.gov.uk by 24th May 2024.
Office for Statistics Regulation
Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards by emailing evidence@dcms.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website.
The responsible analyst for this release is Rachel Moyce. For further details about the estimates, or to be added to a distribution list for future updates, please email us at evidence@dcms.gov.uk.
Pre-release access
A document is provided that contains a list of ministers and officials who have received privileged early access to this release. In line with best practice, the list has been kept to a minimum and those given access for briefing purposes had a maximum of 24 hours.