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The US television and film industry has become a bigger employer than farming, oil and gas extraction, and mining, according to an analysis by the Motion Picture Association of America.
The production and distribution of TV shows and movies directly employ more people in 34 States than each of those industries, the group said.
The report illustrates how broadly the US entertainment industry has grown beyond the known creative enclaves of Los Angeles and New York. Jobs in television and film directly generated $76 billion in wages, with salaries that are 47 per cent higher than the national average, the group said. The analysis of 2017 US economic data was partly delayed by the government shutdown earlier this year, and included jobs linked to pay television for the first time, the MPAA said.
The entertainment industry has spread across the US, beyond Southern California where the warm, sunny climate drew filmmakers to build the first production companies at the turn of the 20th century. Other States — including Georgia, Louisiana and Illinois — have used subsidies to draw production away from California to create their own thriving hubs.
Highly competitive
This industry supports jobs and businesses in all 50 States and is also highly competitive globally —generating $17.2 billion in exports and a positive balance of trade in every major market in the world, Charles Rivkin, chairman and chief executive officer of the MPAA, said in a statement.
The US film and television industry has a trade surplus of $10.3 billion, 4 per cent of the country’s total surplus in services, the analysis showed. Showing the importance of the industry to exports will likely draw attention to the plight of major media companies seeking better deals with China, where their access is limited. The industry’s surplus exceeds that of telecommunications, transportation, mining or the legal or insurance industries, the MPAA said.
The use of taxpayer funds to support the entertainment industry isn’t always popular with lawmakers. Some states have removed or revised programmes over the years. California, hoping to take advantage, recently revamped its subsidies for film and television to help draw shows and movie productions back to the state.
The industry employs 927,000 directly, supports 2.6 million total jobs and made $44 billion in payments to local businesses, the trade body said.
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