Skip to content
general-news — Culture — Industries — Heritage — Data — Arts — Politics — Creative — Development

Self-employed labor force in England and Wales demonstrates inventiveness and independence

Statistics and demographic insights on artistic self-employed workers in England and Wales, as discussed in a guest blog by Dr. Ruoxi Wang on Creative PEC.

,   and  ASMedia
3 min read
Freelancers in England and Wales: Demographic Insights and Statistical Analysis, as Provided by Dr....
Freelancers in England and Wales: Demographic Insights and Statistical Analysis, as Provided by Dr. Ruoxi Wang in a Guest Post for Creative PEC

Self-employed labor force in England and Wales demonstrates inventiveness and independence

Lighting Up the Creative Workforce: Dr Ruoxi Wang & Bernard Hay's Insightful Discussion

You know what? The creative industries are a blooming playground for self-employment - think freelancers, filmmakers, designers, and artists alike! A whopping 31% of creative workers in the UK are self-employed, compared to just a mere 15% across all industries. And guess who's leading the charge? The University of Sheffield and Head of Policy at Creative PEC, Bernard Hay, are diving deep into the world of creative self-employment.

In the thick of the UK's growth mission and increasing devolution, we need a better understanding of the local and regional needs of this dynamic workforce. So, the brilliant minds at the University of Sheffield have brought to life a data dashboard powered by 2021 Census data from England and Wales. This treasure trove of information provides a clear picture of the self-employed workforce within creative industries, allowing us to dive into key insights.

Dishing out the Deets:

The office for National Statistics has provided the goods with their comprehensive dataset, packed with estimates of workers in creative industries by occupation, economic activity status, and geographical location. Yes, you read that right - it's a detailed breakdown of the self-employed and employed workforce. With a laser-focus on the self-employed creative professionals, we're gathering some thrilling insights!

Numbers talks:

  • About 31.5% of the creative occupation workforce in England and Wales was self-employed in 2021, amounting to a total of 1.15 million individuals.
  • The creative sectors of arts, culture, and heritage (ACH) are notably self-employed-friendly, with over half (59%) of the workforce rocking the self-employed life.

Now, who would expect that, right?

Here's the kicker:- The most self-employed professions include artists, actors, musicians, and dancers - we're talking an 80%+ self-employment rate!- On the flip side, you've got librarians, IT specialists, architects, and software developers who are less inclined towards self-employment, with rates under 10%.

By region, Greater London, the West of England, and York and North Yorkshire stand out with higher self-employed rates. Meanwhile, Hackney boasts an impressive 8% of its labour force being creative self-employed, making up 40% of the creative workforce within the area. On the other end, Rushmoor is bringing up the rear with only 20.5% of its creative workforce self-employed.

Popping the Dashboard:

This dazzling data dashboard offers an interactive peek into the self-employed workforce across local authorities, combined authorities, and Greater London. Use it to uncover details about the number of self-employed creatives in your area, their shares among the total labour force, and the breakdown by occupation. Plus, you can compare different occupations side-by-side to identify where the self-employment rate is highest.

From the Experts:

  • Dr. Ruoxi Wang (Research Associate, University of Sheffield)
  • Bernard Hay (Head of Policy, Creative PEC)

Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on creativity and self-employment from these brilliant minds!

  1. The discussion between Dr Ruoxi Wang and Bernard Hay, Head of Policy at Creative PEC, delves into the self-employment trends within the creative industries, which are a significant part of the UK's growth mission.
  2. This conversation is taking place against the backdrop of increasing devolution, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of the local and regional needs of the creative workforce.
  3. The University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics, has developed a data dashboard using 2021 Census data from England and Wales to shed light on the self-employed workforce within creative industries.
  4. Evidence gathered from this data shows that the creative sectors of arts, culture, and heritage (ACH) have over half (59%) of their workforce self-employed, a testament to their self-employed-friendly nature.
  5. Some creative professions, such as artists, actors, musicians, and dancers, exhibit an 80%+ self-employment rate, while others like librarians, IT specialists, architects, and software developers have self-employment rates under 10%.
  6. Regions like Greater London, the West of England, and York and North Yorkshire have higher self-employed rates in the creative industry, with Hackney leading the pack with 8% of its labour force being creative self-employed, comprising 40% of the creative workforce within the area.
  7. The data dashboard created by the University of Sheffield offers interactive insights into the self-employed workforce across different regions, providing information about the number of self-employed creatives, their shares among the total labour force, and the breakdown by occupation, facilitating comparative analysis for effective policy and legislation in the creative industries and the broader economy.

Read also:

Related

Latest