The total number of people economically supported by the film and TV industries is slightly increasing, according to a new report by the Motion Picture Association of America.
Overall, the U.S. film and television industry supports 2.1 million jobs (up from 2 million year-over-year), with total wages paid out rising $4 billion to reach a total of $139 billion, the trade group said Tuesday in an economic impact report.
Jobs in core industry positions, including producing, marketing, manufacturing and distributing motion pictures and television, showed average salary that is 68 percent higher than the average salary nationwide.
The film and television industry made $49 billion in payments to local businesses. Compared to the previous year, the small businesses that make up the film and television industry rose by 5,000 to hit 93,000, 87 percent of which are small businesses that employ fewer than 10 people. In all, film and television supports 400,000 local businesses.
The MPAA is basing its numbers on Department of Labor statistics, meaning that the report is based on 2016 data that was released at the end of 2017.
The MPAA attributes the increase in jobs and wages to desire for content, specifically in the digital space and in television.
