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Arts: Employment

Question for Department for Culture, Media and Sport

UIN HL587, tabled on 27 November 2023

To ask His Majesty's Government, for each year since 2013, what number of people were working in each of the nine sub-sectors of the creative industries, and what contribution each sub-sector has made to the economy.

Answered on

6 December 2023

The UK’s creative industries are worth more than the life sciences, automotive manufacturing, aerospace, and oil and gas sectors put together, generating £126 billion annually and employing over 2.4 million people across the country.

As set out in the Government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision, our ambition is to grow this sector by a further £50 billion gross value added and to support one million more jobs by 2030, delivering a creative careers promise which builds a pipeline of talent.

Each sub-sector of the creative industries makes a distinct contribution to the UK economy. The information requested is shown in the following tables:

Number of people working in each creative industries sub-sector (000s):

Advertising and marketing

Architecture

Crafts

Design and designer fashion

Film, TV, radio and photography

IT, software and computer services

Publishing

Museums, Galleries and Libraries

Music, performing and visual arts

2013

155

94

8

124

232

574

198

85

244

2014

167

101

8

136

228

607

193

84

284

2015

182

90

7

132

231

640

200

97

286

2016

198

98

7

160

246

674

193

92

291

2017

190

104

10

160

261

712

192

96

283

2018

195

111

9

163

245

733

199

89

296

2019

190

112

9

171

239

775

196

95

315

2020

201

115

8

151

279

872

197

104

294

2021

226

106

7

160

290

963

199

94

294

2022

241

110

5

139

280

1,035

209

96

283

Source: Economic Estimates: Employment in DCMS sectors and Digital sector, January 2022 to December 2022. - GOV.UK

Contribution to economy of each creative industries sub-sector, as measured by gross value added (GVA) (£ billions):

Advertising and marketing

Architecture

Crafts

Design and designer fashion

Film, TV, radio and photography

IT, software and computer services

Publishing

Museums, Galleries and Libraries

Music, performing and visual arts

2013

13.2

2.6

0.2

2.3

18.2

29.9

11.4

1

9.7

2014

13.3

3

0.4

2.3

18.1

32.6

11.4

0.8

8.6

2015

17

3.4

0.4

2.6

19.4

33.5

11.1

0.9

9.6

2016

15.7

3.4

0.3

3

20

37.6

11.4

0.9

9.3

2017

16.8

3.7

0.3

2.7

19.7

38.2

10.6

1

9.6

2018

16.4

3.5

0.3

3.3

19.2

40

10.4

0.9

10.2

2019

15.8

3.4

0.4

3

20.2

41.3

10.7

1

10.1

2020

15.9

3.2

0.1

2.4

17.8

42.9

10.1

0.6

7.4

2021*

18.2

3.5

0.4

3.1

19.9

48.8

11.3

1

8.9

2022*

18.8

3.7

0.4

3.2

20.8

55.4

11.6

1

11.2

*Figures for 2021 and 2022 are summed monthly GVA estimates as annual GVA estimates are not yet available. These figures are subject to revision and not directly comparable to the annual GVA estimates for 2013-2020 due to being calculated via a different method.

Source: Economic Estimates: GVA for DCMS Sectors and the Digital Sector, 2020 - GOV.UK (Annual GVA 2013-2020); DCMS and Digital Economic Estimates: Monthly GVA (to Sept 2023) - GOV.UK (Summed monthly GVA 2021-2022)