New Study by U.S. Dept of Commerce and NEA Shows Rhode Island Leading Region in State Employment in the Arts
Providence, RI – April 19, 2017
More than $1 billion in compensation was paid to Rhode Islanders involved in the arts and cultural production sector in 2014, according to a new study released today through a collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).
“Today’s report from the federal government shows that the arts and culture create jobs and represent a significant share of employment in our state,” Governor Gina M. Raimondo said. “We are grateful to the work of the State Arts Council and the many artists and cultural organizations who contribute so much to the economic and cultural life of our state.”
According to the report, close to 18,000 Rhode Islanders were employed in the arts and cultural sector in 2014, representing 3.7% of all employment in the state. Rhode Island leads the New England region in the percentage of state employment attributed to the arts and culture and ranked No. 2 in the percentage of total state compensation credited to the arts (3.6%), following Massachusetts. Read more