NEA: Arts Sector Contributed $763.6 Billion to U.S. Economy

As reported by Artsy on March 8, 2019, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced on March 5 that the “arts and cultural sector contributed over $763.6 billion to the American economy in 2015—more than the agriculture, transportation, or warehousing sectors…”

That means the arts generated 4.2% of overall GDP in 2015, employing more than 4.9 million workers and collectively earning over $370 billion. (Arts accounted for 7% of all jobs in New York City in 2013.)

“The U.S. [BEA’s] research makes clear that, if you care about jobs and the economy and infrastructure, you need to care about the arts,” said Robert L. Lynch, the CEO and president of Americans for the Arts, in an emailed statement. “Strategic investment in our arts and cultural organizations is not an extra, it’s a path to prosperity.” ~ Artsy, March 8, 2019

What is important for arts advocates to remember over the coming legislative year is that arts funding for cultural organizations and support groups is a proverbial hostage in budget debates, whether on the federal, state, or local level.

State-Level Estimates of the Arts’ Economic Value and Employment (2001-2015):
https://www.arts.gov/artistic-fields/research-analysis/arts-data-profiles/arts-data-profile-17

“The economic impact analysis comes as the NEA is facing severe cuts under U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed budget, and one year after the agency staved off the threat of total elimination by his administration.”~ Artsy, March 8, 2019

We cannot stress how much this data needs to be utilized in conversations to move the public sentiment and to mitigate the countless hours spent by cultural organizations and their advocates to convince reluctant legislative leaders to secure and increase proper funding. Arts and Culture funding has a multiplier effect that consistently returns multiples of dollars for each dollar expended.