Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
COVID's Devastating Effect On The Creative Economy
()
We know what the pandemic’s impact on the creative economy looks like: Film and television productions canceled, museums padlocked, art galleries empty, theaters dark.
But now we know part of the human cost, and it’s tens of thousands of local arts workers forced into unemployment.
According to a study commissioned by the Otis College of Art and Design, more than 175,000 California creative workers lost their jobs in 2020 because of the pandemic, with nearly 110,000 of the newly unemployed coming from Los Angeles County.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the creative economy in California,” the study reports. “The professionals who work across the creative economy’s sectors have been profoundly affected by the public health mandates implemented to help contain the virus.”
Support for LAist comes from
Film and television-related positions accounted for the biggest share of job loss, with some 50,000 local workers sent home. Thousands of people who work in fine arts and fashion also became unemployed.
The study separately counted an array of indirect production-related work -- such as transportation for filming -- which added hundreds of thousands to the tally of losses in the state’s creative economy.
And when people aren’t working, they don’t have money to stimulate the local economy or taxable income. The Otis report found that 2020 job losses just in Los Angeles amounted to an estimated drop of $3.3 billion in state and local government revenue, and $5.7 billion in federal revenue.
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The L.A. City Council approved the venue change Wednesday, which organizers say will save $12 million in infrastructure costs. -
Taxes on the sale of some newer apartment buildings would be lowered under a plan by Sacramento lawmakers to partially rein in city Measure ULA.
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago.
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
Best of LAist