US / 2.1 million artists in the labor force: the National Statistics about Working Artists

What do we know about the 2.1 million artists in the United States’ labor force? To help answer that question, the NEA today released “Equal Opportunity Data Mining: National Statistics about Working Artists.” This new online research tool offers 70 searchable tables with figures on working artists by state and metropolitan area, by demographic information (including race and ethnicity, age, gender, and disability status), and by residence and workplace. The public is welcome to investigate the tables, a map of state-level rankings, and links to original sources.

“Artists represent just 1.4 percent of the labor force, but they have an outsized role as entrepreneurs and innovators who contribute to the vitality of the communities where they live and work,” said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. “These data add further detail and nuance to our understanding of the profile of American artists.”

This new research resource gives statistical profiles of Americans who reported an artist occupation as their primary job, whether full-time, part-time, or self-employed. The dataset looks at artists in 11 distinct occupations, including actors; announcers; architects; art directors, fine artists, and animators; dancers and choreographers; designers; entertainers and performers; musicians; photographers; producers and directors; and writers and authors. Some tables offer data on employed artists in particular, while other tables measure all artists in the workforce, both employed and looking for work.

The NEA created these datasets based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Tables. Every ten years, the Census Bureau produces EEO tables using data from its annual American Community Survey (ACS). This set of EEO Tables are drawn from the ACS survey results for 2006-2010, which were combined to obtain a large enough sample. The  EEO Tables are the federal standard for comparing the race, ethnicity, and gender composition of the labor market in specific geographic areas and job categories.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor

via The National Endowment for the Arts Releases New Research Tool on Working Artists.