Thursday, February 23, 2017
Americans for the Arts released a statement on the important economic impact of the arts in both supporting American jobs and strengthening our economy. There is a clear and welcome message for the President and Congress: because you care about jobs and the economy, you can feel confident about investing in the arts.
The statement addresses new research by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis showing the nonprofit and for-profit arts is a $730 billion industry that directly employs 4.8 million arts workers. This represents 4.2 percent of the nation’s GDP—a larger share of the economy than transportation, tourism, and agriculture. It also details the crucial contributions the National Endowment for the Arts makes to our country’s economy and cultural life.
