(Mostly) positive recent statistics on core cultural jobs across the country
Also: longer-term increases in many provinces and territories
Today’s post analyzes changes in jobs in the arts, culture, and heritage, using recently released data for 2023. As I did regarding changes in cultural GDP, I focus on the core of the cultural sector: the production of cultural goods and services by cultural organizations, businesses, and individuals. Once again, I look into recent changes (since 2019) and longer-term trends (since 2010).
I will generally use the term “core cultural jobs” to refer to positions related to cultural goods and services that are produced by cultural organizations, businesses, and individuals. The statistics include both full-time and part-time positions and are not expressed on a full-time-equivalent basis. The estimates exclude jobs related to non-cultural goods and services from establishments in the cultural sector, as well as jobs producing cultural goods and services by industries that are not primarily cultural. As such, the estimates do not represent the entirety of the cultural sector in any jurisdiction.
The analysis is based on Statistics Canada’s estimates of the direct economic impacts of culture in 2023, published in early June as part of the Provincial and Territorial Culture Indicators. Links to the data source and important notes (including descriptions of cultural products and cultural industries) are provided after my data analysis.
While my analysis of core cultural GDP included adjustments for inflation and population growth, the jobs data need no such adjustments. Due to the absence of adjustments, the threshold for an increase over time is lower.
Recently, most provinces and territories have seen an increase in core cultural jobs. Some have seen an increase over a longer timeframe as well.
In all but three jurisdictions, there are more jobs in the core of the cultural sector than before the pandemic
The following graph presents recent changes in jobs in the core of the cultural sector. The Canada-wide increase was 2% between 2019 and 2023, but many jurisdictions saw larger increases.