Jobs Are Created by the Arts

“The arts develop skills and habits of mind that are important for workers in the ‘new economy of ideas.’” - Alan Greenspan

“Stimulating creative employment is sound public policy. ” - Americans for the Arts

Artists Make Up A Significant Part of the Labor Force

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there are 1,880,000 artists in the national workforce (1,583,250 in the fields of art, design, entertainment, sports, and media).
• Americans for the Arts reports 548,000 arts-related businesses in the U.S.; that’s one in 24 U.S. businesses.
• Arts & Economic Prosperity: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences, released in 2002, reveals that America’s nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion in economic activity every year, including $24.4 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues, $53.2 billion in spending by arts organizations, and $80.8 billion in event-related spending by arts audiences.

  The $53.2 billion in annual economic activity represents a 45% increase (from $36.8 billion) since 1992, when Americans for the Arts last studied spending by arts organizations.

  The $80.8 billion in event-related spending by arts audiences reflects an average of $22.87 per person in spending for hotels, restaurants, parking, souvenirs, refreshments, or other similar costs-with non-local attendees spending nearly twice as much as local attendees ($38.05 compared to $21.75).

  The $134 billion in total economic activity has a significant national impact, generating the following:

  • 4.85 million full-time equivalent jobs
  • $89.4 billion in household income
  • $6.6 billion in local government tax revenues
  • $7.3 billion in state government tax revenues
  • $10.5 billion in federal income tax revenues

The nonprofit arts are closely aligned with both tourism and educational institutions. The nonprofit arts strengthen the economic development of downtowns, neighborhoods, and small towns across the state. They add to the attractiveness of the community as a place to visit and in which to live. “A vibrant arts community is critical to how corporations decide where to locate, and how people decide where to work” (Megatrends and Megatrends 2000, John Naisbitt)

Support of the arts is a workforce issue for companies. The arts develop “core competencies” such as thinking creatively, problem solving, exersizing individual responsibility, sociability, and self-esteem- the traits that business leaders and manahers must have if they are to remain competittive in the global marketplace.

Workers with arts-related skills are critical to the industries of the new economy: software development and Web design; advertising firms; automobile design companies; architectural and engineering firms; and other fields seeking employees with high-level communication, computer, and creative problem solving abilities.

Artists are a resource for companies. They are the talent that helps a business create a better product (designers), produce better manuals for workers and consumers (writers), solve management problems through simulation techniques (actors), and prepare better marketing materials (painters, photographers, writers).

A KPMG survey of more than 1,200 high-tech workers examined the most important factors associated with taking a new job. “Community quality of life” was the second most important factor - after salary - and more important than benefits, stock options, or company stability.”