Economic Impact | 21 Jul 2021
The UK Creative Industries: unleashing the power and potential of creativity
The study shows that, in addition to the 2.1m jobs that existed in the Creative Industries prior to the pandemic, a further 1.4m roles were supported by the sector through its supply chains.
In 2019, the Creative Industries directly created 2.1 million jobs, based in areas right across the UK, and directly contributed £115.9 billion to UK GDP. The creative industries made an even greater contribution when also accounting for their procurement expenditures.
When including these, we estimate that the total economic footprint of the industries in 2019 supported 3.5 million jobs and £178.0 billion in GVA. The results therefore indicate that for every 10 jobs that the creative industries directly support, a further seven are supported elsewhere in the economy as a result of supply chain multiplier effects. Similarly, for every £1 that the industries contribute to the UK directly, a further £0.5 is supported through supply chain effects.
The effects of the pandemic will affect the production of creative and cultural goods and services in the years to come. The Creative Industries are estimated to have lost £12 billion in GVA as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, dropping from £115.9 billion in 2019 to £104.1 billion in 2020 – well below the £122 billion in GVA the sector was projected to generate by the end of 2020, had the pandemic not materialised.
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