1 in 3 music industry jobs were lost in the U.K. due to COVID-19 pandemic
A damning new report has revealed that one in three people in the U.K. music industry lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A damning new report has revealed that an alarming one in three people in the U.K. music industry lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per The Line of Best Fit, the annual This Is Music report was published on Tuesday, October 19th, and provided some sobering statistics. It reported that 69,000 jobs were lost across the U.K. music industry, with employment in the sector dropping a huge 35% between 2019 and 2020, a decrease from 197,000 jobs to 128,000 jobs.
The country's music industry's economic contribution also dropped by 46%, from £5.8 billion to £3.1 billion. Music exports were down too, dropping by 23% in 2020, while live music revenues decreased by 90% in the same year.
"Such a huge loss in revenues inevitably led to a loss in employment for both live music workers and music creators alike, who have experienced a 35% and a 40% decline in employment respectively," the report explains.
U.K. Music's Chief Executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin specified five key areas for the government to focus on to help the music industry rebuild: tax incentives for to stimulate growth and jobs; removing EU touring restrictions; a permanent reduction in VAT rate on live music event tickets; increased funding for music exports; and a boost in funding for music education.
"The past 18 months have been exceptionally challenging for the UK music industry, with billions wiped off the value of the sector – but we are determined to look to the future and focus on recovery," Njoku-Goodwin said. "Music matters to us all. And in a year when we’ve seen just how important music is to all our lives, it’s more important than ever that we take the necessary steps to protect, strengthen and grow the industry."
THE MUSIC NETWORK NEWSLETTER
Reporting from inside the Australian music business since '94.
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It follows the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) report from earlier this month, which revealed that over 85,000 jobs were lost in the U.K. nightlife industry during the pandemic.
You can read the full This Is Music 2021 report at ukmusic.org.
For more on this topic, follow The Industry Observer.
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THE MUSIC NETWORK NEWSLETTER
Reporting from inside the Australian music business since '94.
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