PROVIDENCE -The Rhode Island arts and cultural production industries accounted for $1.8 billion of economic activity in 2015, about 3.3 percent of the total state economic output, according to a Bureau of Economic Analysis report released Tuesday.
Year over year, the economic value added of the arts and culture sector in Rhode Island rose 4.1 percent, adjusted for inflation.
Of Rhode Island’s reported $1.8 billion of arts and cultural economic output, $343.5 million was attributed to the “core arts and cultural production industries,” which includes performing arts companies, promoters, agents and managers for artists, independent artists, writers and performers, museums, advertising, architectural services, design services, fine arts education and education services.
The rest of Rhode Island’s arts and cultural production output, which accounted for $1.4 billion, was attributed to the supporting arts and cultural production industries. This included the sector’s interaction and economic impact related to art support services, information services, manufacturing, construction, wholesale and transportation industries, and retail industries.
In 2015, the country’s arts and culture sector increased its output by 4.9 percent – a 4.5 percentage-point increase from one year prior – to $763.6 billion, or 4.2 percent of total United States gross domestic product.
In Rhode Island, employment in the arts and cultural sector fell by 0.1 percent in 2015 to 17,902 individuals who were paid $1 billion. Year over year, compensation for the entire arts and cultural production industries rose 1 percent in the Ocean State.
Compensation in Rhode Island’s core arts and cultural production industries rose 2.6 percent year over year to $199.8 million in 2015. Compensation for Rhode Island’s supporting arts and cultural production industries rose 0.4 percent year over year in 2015 to $773.2 million.
Nationally, employment in the arts and cultural production sector rose by 2.1 percent in 2015 with a total job count of 4.9 million.
Missouri was reported to have the the highest growth rate of art and cultural value added in 2015 in the U.S. at 12.6 percent year over year.
At 5.5 percent, Georgia saw the highest arts and culture employment growth in 2015. The state’s 133,960 employees were paid $9.4 billion.
The BEA Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account is supported by funds from the National Endowment of the Arts.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
