Some arts and heritage organizations and businesses have not survived through the pandemic. Many others have. But how well are they doing?

The key question that I investigate today is:

Among organizations and businesses that have survived, how many believe that they are in better shape now than before the pandemic?

Today’s post examines data for Canada as a whole. Next week, I’ll examine some key indicators by province.

My analysis focuses on recent data related to the “arts, entertainment, and recreation” industry, the closest approximation of the arts in many published datasets. This industry group includes: 1) performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries; 2) heritage institutions; and 3) amusement, gambling, and recreation industries. The cultural industries are excluded (e.g., publishing, motion pictures, sound recording, and broadcasting), because they are grouped into “information and cultural industries”, along with software, telecommunications, and data processing and hosting.

Pandemic-induced loss of arts and heritage organizations and businesses

Since early 2020, there has been a 3% decrease in the number of organizations and businesses with at least one employee in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry group. This stands in contrast to the 2% increase in businesses and organizations in all sectors of the economy.

(Source: My analysis of the raw data from January 2022 in Statistics Canada. Table 33-10-0270-01: Experimental estimates for business openings and closures for Canada, provinces and territories, census metropolitan areas, seasonally adjusted.)

The remainder of this post is based on a question asked of arts, entertainment, and recreation organizations and businesses (with at least one employee) in April of 2022:

Is this business or organization in a better overall position today than it was in 2019?

Yes, this business or organization is in a better overall position now
This business or organization is in about the same overall position now compared with 2019
No, this business or organization is in a worse overall position now
Don't know

Are more of the surviving organizations in a better or worse position now?

Statistical insights on the arts

Do arts, heritage, and entertainment…

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