New research shows
New research from Nesta, in partnership with the Creative Industries Council, reveals creative industries across the UK are driving local and national economic growth, identifying that local economies have grown their creative industries employment by an average of 11 per cent, twice as fast as other sectors (where local economies experienced, on average, 5.5 per cent of growth).
Based on its new research, Nesta estimates there were 162,000 new employees in the UK creative industries between 2011-2014 and 2015-16. If the creative industries keep growing at the same pace, 900,000 new creative industries jobs could be created between 2013 and 2030. This nears Nesta’s goal of one million new creative jobs by 2030, as set in its 2015 report The Creative Economy and the Future of Employment.
This amount could total 1,000 new creative industries jobs a week, important for the UK workforce and economy because creative jobs are highly skilled, could contribute to productivity growth and are resilient to automation. However, if the geography of creative jobs stays the same, three quarters of new creative industries jobs will be in the top 10 areas, instead of nationwide.
Nesta has mapped the scale of the creative industries across the UK  and found that the UK is experiencing a boom in creative entrepreneurship – with the number of businesses growing in nine out of 10 places mapped. Creative industries — from architecture to film and advertising — also grew faster than other sectors in four out of five (83 per cent) areas.
During this time, the areas with the most new creative businesses were London (reaching  a total of 90,753 creative businesses  in 2015-16), Manchester (with 9183), Luton (with 5058) and Birmingham (with 4988). Meanwhile, Milton Keynes, Birmingham and Luton, saw the highest growth rates of new creative businesses (see table below).
The creative sector has also powered the creation of jobs, with more than four in five (82 per cent) places growing their creative industries employment. In absolute terms, London, Reading, Manchester and Leeds generated the highest number of creative industry jobs while Reading, Leeds, and High Wycombeand Aylesbury grew creative industries employment at the fastest rate.
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