How the recession is hitting artists

Here’s some of the info pulled from the National Endowment for the Arts study, released yesterday, titled “Artists in a Year of Recession: Impact on Jobs in 2008.” For the full document, click here.

— “The artist unemployment rate grew to 6.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008…Their unemployment rate is comparable to that of the overall workforce (6.1 percent) but twice that of the “professional” workers (3.0 percent) category in which all artists are grouped.”

–“Unemployment rates for artists have risen more rapidly than for U.S. workers as a whole.” These numbers would be even higher, the study says, if it weren’t for the large numbers of artists leaving the workforce.

–Architects and designers have been particularly badly hit.

–“During the prior recession (2001), artist unemployment did not reach its peak of 6.1 percent until 2003—two years after economic recovery began nationwide.” In other words, if things get better, it will take longer for them to get better for artists.

Your thoughts?