Artists' Employment Status
According to the 2001 Current Population Survey,
the unemployment rate for artists in 2001 was 4.0%.
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About this Quick Fact
Unemployment Rate for Artists in General
The unemployment rate for artists is derived from two pieces of information:
the number of unemployed artists divided by the total number of people
whose current, or most recent, primary occupation (that is, the job at
which they worked the most hours) was in the arts.
By this definition of unemployment rate, the unemployment rate for artists
in 2001 was 4.0% (88,000 divided by 2,196,000). This figure is high in
comparison to the 2001 unemployment rate for professionals in general
(2.2%), but relatively in line with the overall unemployment rate of 4.4%
among all civilian workers.
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Unemployment Rates for Specific Artists Occupations
Unemployment levels were generally highest among the "traditional"
visual and performing arts occupations, led by actors and directors at 9.9%,
followed by dancers at 6.3%, painters, sculptors and craft artists at 4.6%,
and musicians and composers at 3.7%. Unemployment levels were also high
among artists not elsewhere classified (5.4%), and announcers (4.5%). Architects
and teachers of art, drama and music enjoyed the lowest unemployment levels
in 2001, at 1.7% and 1.4% respectively.
| Unemployment Levels Across Artist Occupation Categories |
| |
Employed |
Unemployed |
UE Rate |
| Actors and directors |
131,000 |
14,000 |
9.9% |
| Announcers |
49,000 |
2,000 |
4.5% |
| Architects |
241,000 |
4,000 |
1.7% |
| Authors |
122,000 |
6,000 |
4.6% |
| Dancers |
26,000 |
2,000 |
6.3% |
| Designers |
788,000 |
26,000 |
3.2% |
| Musicians and composers |
180,000 |
7,000 |
3.7% |
| Painters, sculptors and craft artists |
243,000 |
12,000 |
4.6% |
| Photographers |
154,000 |
5,000 |
2.9% |
| Teachers of art, drama and music |
45,000 |
1,000 |
1.4% |
| Other artists (not elsewhere classified) |
156,000 |
9,000 |
5.4% |
| All Artists |
2,108,000 |
88,000 |
4.0% |
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Secondary Employment of Artists
While 2,108,000 people held primary jobs as artists in 2001, an additional
315,000 held secondary jobs as artists while working at primary jobs in
other occupations. In other words, 87% of all working artists held primary
jobs as artists while 13% worked as artists only in secondary jobs.
The rate of secondary employment as an artist was highest among announcers
and musicians and composers. Just 64.5% of all working announcers held
primary jobs as announcers in 2001, while 35.5% worked as announcers in
secondary jobs only. Likewise, just two-thirds (67.7%) of working musicians
and composers held primary jobs as musicians and composers, while one-third
(32.3%) worked as musicians or composers in secondary jobs only.
The rate of secondary employment as an artist was lowest among architects
and designers, at 2.7% and 6.3% respectively.
| Secondary employment of artists |
| |
Primary Employment |
Secondary Employment |
Secondary Job % |
| Actors and directors |
131,000 |
18,000 |
12.1% |
| Announcers |
49,000 |
27,000 |
35.5% |
| Architects |
214,000 |
6,000 |
2.7% |
| Authors |
122,000 |
20,000 |
14.1% |
| Dancers |
26,000 |
5,000 |
16.1% |
| Designers |
788,000 |
53,000 |
6.3% |
| Musicians and composers |
180,000 |
86,000 |
32.3% |
| Painters, sculptors and craft artists |
243,000 |
33,000 |
12.0% |
| Photographers |
154,000 |
23,000 |
13.0% |
| Teachers of art, drama and music |
45,000 |
14,000 |
23.7% |
| Other artists (not elsewhere classified) |
156,000 |
30,000 |
16.1% |
| All Artists |
2,108,000 |
315,000 |
13.0% |
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