Creative Work is Work

Who Is a Creative Worker?

There are 5.1 million creative workers in the United States, as identified by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. A creative worker is anyone who earns income from creative, cultural, or artistic-based pursuits, whether they earn that income independently (as an independent contractor, solo entrepreneur, or gig worker, for example) or via an employer. Creative workers use the unique human quality of individual expression to produce ideas, content, goods and services.

What is the U.S. Creative Economy?

The creative economy is an economic ecosystem of over 670,000 for-profit and nonprofit creative industries, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, vendors, policy makers and funders that produce and distribute creativity- and artistic-based goods and services in the United States, powered by individuals and organizations who use their creativity to drive jobs, revenue, community resources, and cultural engagement.

Each year, the creative economy collectively generates $878 billion, or 4.5% of the United States’ total GDP.

Why Should I Care About the Impact of COVID-19 on the Creative Economy?

The creative economy drives your community’s economy! Click here to learn more about the power of the creative economy to drive economic recovery, and the devastating impact that COVID-19 has had on the sector.