Employment statistics in the cultural sector in Europe

If you work in the cultural sector in Spain you are twice as likely to be a graduate as a person working in other sectors, and you represent part of 1.3% of the total working population. Your German colleagues represent 2.2% of their country’s working population, with the figures for UK at 2.1%, France at 1.7% and Italy at 1.1%. Across the 27 EU countries in 2009 the average was 1.7%.

Writers and creative artists
The number of persons employed as writers and creative artists in Spain rose from 77,600 in 2004 to 101,500 in 2009.
The corresponding figures for France are 150,500 / 180,200 and for the UK 140,500 / 195,600. If you want near stagnation go to Italy, with almost no change in 5 years from 118,300 to 119,100. 

Which European country has the largest number of persons employed as writers and creative artists? If you want to know the answer, go to the end of this post.
 

Big numbers do not necessarily mean that you have more chance of being employed in the cultural sector. The figures for what writers and creative artists represent as a % of the total number of employed persons are remarkably close across countries. In 2009 in Spain writers and creative artists took a 0.5% of total employment; in France and in the UK 0.7%; in Italy 0.5%; and in Germany 0.8%.
If you want high % rates, go to Netherlands, with 1.3%, or Finland and Sweden with 1.5%. In Iceland the figure rises to 1.9%, but the beautiful island of the hot water springs is something of an exception due to its small population.

This fascinating information forms part of data presented in the pocketbook "Cultural Statistics 2011", published by the European Commission. I have written in an earlier post about  other aspects of culture such as levels of participation in cultural activities and citizen involvement as consumers and creators, also from this report.
In the Cultural Statistics pocketbook, the data are taken from the EU Labour Force Survey (LFS). Detailed statistics concerning employment in cultural economic activities and occupations can be obtained on request from the EU. You can read it all for yourself at the EU culture portal 

This current set of data refers to employment, and is especially relevant in these times when jobs are so hard to find. If you considering working in the cultural sector it is very useful to be able to compare the % rates of total employed persons who can thrive in the cultural sector; or that writers  and creative artist can represent  a larger or smaller share of the total of employed persons.
As well as knowing the data, it is essential to have access to the actual job opportunities available at any given time. A search through the relevant jobs sections of the press, on paper and digital, is one method. It is also important to understand the level of mutual interest between countries. Here are some notes on a recent report about the current state of linguistic interaction between Spain and Germany. 

I recently wrote about two sites which give a constantly updated summary of job opportunities as well as a wide range of information about developments in the cultural sector and they are certainly essential to any person who is serious about searching for job opportunities  in the cultural sector. They are LabforCulture and FabricaCultural.

Opportunities currently available on LabforCulture include:

European Cultural Foundation is looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Digital Communication Officer. If social media and online communication are second nature to you, and if you want to share your digital know-how within a stimulating, international environment, then find out more about this vacancy (see LabforCulture)
and
International Arts Management Lab
For arts managers and arts administrators
March 23, 24, 25 
Vienna, Austria

The Lab is the introductory course which opens the door towards the new collaboration project in Russia in autumn 2012 - 
the six-week period of performance creation in a Russian repertory theatre together with Russian actors and performers from different countries!
There are several scholarships available for participation in the Lab in March in Vienna!
The scholarship covers the full participation fee.


Among the opportunities currently displayed at FabricaCultural are the following:
Auxiliares de biblioteca. Madrid
Assistant/Associate University Librarian. California.
Traductor y revisor de francés. Naciones Unidas. Yugoslavia. 
Interprete de francés para conferencias. Naciones Unidas. PHNOM-PENH 
Graphic Arts Assistant.Naciones Unidas. Nueva York
Prácticas de documentalista en Institut de Recherche PIERRE FABRE. Francia. 
Profesor en Sheffield Hallam University. Reino Unido. 
Prácticas de documentalista en SCE. Francia. 
Monitor de teatro para actividades extraescolares.
Archivista Bureau van Dijk Ingénieurs Conseils. Francia

Also, they are also promoting an interesting workshop on grants and other funding from Spain and Europe:
Taller "Financiación de proyectos culturales: subvenciones, concursos y ayudas españolas y europeas"

You can follow FabricaCultural on Twitter  @fabricacultural 

By the way, the European country which has the largest number of persons employed as writers and creative artists is Germany, where the figures for 2004 and 2009 are 235,000 / 327,800.