Select stats and sources about the working conditions of artists, cultural workers, and other Canadians
To accompany a survey of affordability, working conditions, opportunities, and challenges for artists and other cultural workers
Today, I’m offering a compilation of statistics and sources for workers in the arts and culture, related to working conditions, affordability, self-employment, paid employment, secondary employment, plus key opportunities and barriers. Benchmark statistics for all Canadians figure prominently in the compilation.
I brought this information together to support a survey of artists and cultural workers in Canada that was open until March 6, 2024. The survey was conducted for the Cultural Human Resources Council.
I thought that this information might be of interest to readers of Statistical insights on the arts. In particular, there is a long list of resources related to affordability, a key issue in the arts and culture, as it is more broadly in Canadian society.
Work in the arts and culture
Mentioned in the survey
My statistical work has shown that workers in the arts and culture are much more likely than other Canadians to hold multiple jobs.
Another source with lots of information about artists and other “content creators”, with a specific focus on the situation during the pandemic:
Canadian Artists and Content Creators Economic Survey Report (conducted in 2021), Department of Canadian Heritage.
A few of their key findings:
Respondents’ creative incomes are volatile and low.
Many respondents still rely on traditional income sources.
A majority of respondents are self-employed.
The pandemic hit some fields particularly hard.
Affordability
Mentioned in the survey
In Canada, the median personal income of artists (about $30,000) is, on average, 39% lower than the typical income among all Canadian workers (almost $50,000).
Source: Hill Strategies Research, Profile of artists in Ontario, with comparisons to Canada (I haven’t published an article about the incomes of all Canadian artists.)
Many other profiles of artists are also available. Here is a link to a list of articles that I’ve published about artists:
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/t/artists
Incomes are much lower for Indigenous than non-Indigenous artists and arts leaders. The same is true for racialized artists and arts leaders, as well as for workers who are women, non-binary, or transgender.
Sources: Hill Strategies Research, various articles.
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/p/very-low-incomes-for-indigenous-artists
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/p/incomes-racialized-artists-leaders-culture
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/p/incomes-gender-artists-leaders-cultural-workers
Lots of people are facing huge challenges providing for themselves and their families. Food bank usage is extremely high. Rent or mortgage payments are not affordable for many.
Source: CBC news article on food banks
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canadian-food-banks-pressure-1.7071747
There have been well-publicized crises in certain arts organizations that provide housing which is geared to income.
News article about Artscape in Toronto:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article-artscape-launchpad-daniels-receivership/
Other stats and sources
Survey done for Global News: “The survey of 1,500 working Canadians, including 81 per cent who are full-time workers, found the number who considered themselves financially stressed has jumped by 20 per cent in the past year to 37 per cent overall.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/10001501/canadians-financial-stress-money/
69% of households (in the provinces, excluding the three territories) are satisfied with the affordability of their dwellings.
20% of respondents say that it was difficult or very difficult to meet their financial needs in the last 12 months in terms of transportation, housing, food, clothing and other necessary expenses.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Housing Survey, 2021
From: Housing challenges remain for vulnerable populations in 2021
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220721/dq220721b-eng.htm
44% of Canadians aged 15 years and older reported being very concerned with the impact of rising prices on their ability to meet day-to-day expenses over the next six months.
Feeling worried about the impacts of inflation on food, housing and other expenses was greatest among the lowest income Canadians, where more than 6 in 10 (63%) in the bottom household income quintile were very concerned. This proportion was over three times higher than those in the top income quintile (19%).”
30% of survey respondents are very concerned with their ability to afford housing or rent because of the rising cost of housing.
12% say that most days are extremely stressful due to financial issues.
Source: Statistics Canada, Portrait of Canadian Society Survey, 2022
From: Rising prices and the impact on the most financially vulnerable
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00002-eng.htm
And: A profile of those in the bottom family income quintile
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230208/dq230208a-eng.htm
Select statistics drawn from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey (Statistics Canada), Table 6, Types of economic hardship faced by individuals living in households in the bottom income quintile, by personal characteristics:
Asked for financial help from family and friends: 26.2% of bottom income quintile (i.e., the one-fifth of Canadians with the lowest incomes).
Took on debt or sold assets: 20.5% of bottom income quintile.
Turned to charity: 15.8% of bottom income quintile.
Financial difficulty due to increase in rent or mortgage payments (home owners with a mortgage or renters): 23.0% of bottom income quintile.
Skipped or delayed mortgage or rent payments (home owners with a mortgage or renters): 11.8% of bottom income quintile.
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/75-006-x/2023001/article/00002-eng.htm
83% of Canadians are satisfied or very satisfied with their dwelling
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Housing Survey, 2018.
From: Dwelling and neighbourhood satisfaction, by tenure including social and affordable housing and structural type of dwelling, 2018
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=4610002401
Report entitled: Widening inequality: Effects of the pandemic on jobs and income
The Survey on Employment and Skills, conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research in collaboration with the Diversity Institute and the Future Skills Centre, was designed to explore Canadians’ experiences with the changing nature of work, including technology-driven disruptions, increasing insecurity and shifting skills requirements.
https://fsc-ccf.ca/research/widening-inequality-effects-of-the-pandemic-on-jobs-and-income/
News article about housing affordability:
https://globalnews.ca/news/10063412/canada-housing-affordability-decline-canada/
Housing experiences and measures of health and well-being among First Nations people living off reserve, Métis and Inuit: findings from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey
Statistics Canada
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/41-20-0002/412000022023001-eng.htm
Self-employed workers
Mentioned in the survey
Many artists are self-employed, as are many other workers in the arts and culture. Estimates from official sources indicate that roughly two-thirds of artists are self-employed, as are roughly one-third of all cultural workers. (However, the cultural workers estimate includes the high self-employment rate among artists, so the self-employment rate would be lower for non-artist cultural workers.)
Labour Force Survey (2021): 65% of artists are self-employed.
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/p/artists-in-the-pandemic-recent-and
Census (2021): 68% of artists are self-employed. 33% of all cultural workers are self-employed.
(Please trust me on the census stats. I just realized that I haven’t published them anywhere yet.)
In 2018, 2.9 million Canadians were self-employed. Self-employed workers account for roughly 15% of total employment in Canada.
There have been studies of the who and why of self-employment, but not among workers in the arts and culture.
Self-employed Canadians: Who and Why?, Statistics Canada (2019)
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-222-x/71-222-x2019002-eng.htm
Other stats and sources
For artists, hours worked have risen and fallen through the years, with no consistent pattern. The pandemic resulted in a huge decrease in hours, but there was a rebound in 2021. Hours worked by self-employed workers (of all kinds) have had a bumpy ride over the long term.
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/p/long-term-employment-trends-for-artists
Employed workers
No specific stats were offered in the survey.
Other stats and sources
Survey of Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in US Art Museums. A very interesting survey that inspired some questions in the Canadian survey.
By Museums Moving Forward.
https://museumsmovingforward.com/data-studies
Secondary employment
Mentioned in the survey
In Canada, most artists and content creators do not work full-time in their creative field but may be working part-time in their creative field and holding down full- or part-time jobs in other fields.
Canadian Artists and Content Creators Economic Survey Report (conducted in 2021), Department of Canadian Heritage.
Other stats and sources
Multiple job holding among employed workers in the arts and culture
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/p/multiple-job-holding-arts-culture-2023
Statistics by province on multiple job holding among employed workers in the arts and culture
https://statsinsights.hillstrategies.com/p/multiple-job-holding-provinces-2023
Key opportunities and barriers
No specific stats were offered in the survey.
Other stats and sources
Perceived mental health by age (all Canadians)
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310009603
Perceived mental health, by gender and province
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=4510007901
Some questions were inspired by a survey of Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in US Art Museums, by Museums Moving Forward. https://museumsmovingforward.com/data-studies