Report Finds Entertainment, Digital Employment Gains

Employment in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and Orange counties grew 19.6 percent from 2006 to 2016, outpacing 4 percent growth across all industries in the area over the 10-year period, a new report found. The report, released Feb. 9 by the Center for a Competitive Workforce, attributes much of that growth to a substantial increase in the category that includes promoters, agents and managers, which added more than 36,000 jobs over the decade. The growth includes both new agencies as well existing talent and management firms that have added new departments devoted to e-sports, YouTube and other social media platforms that have facilitated the growth of social media stars. The report also said employment in industries with digital media increased 12 percent, including significant overlap with traditional media and entertainment companies. The breakdown: entertainment (up 7 percent), digital media industries (up 15 percent), professional business services (down 8 percent), distribution related jobs (up 82 percent) and non-internet related publishing (down 6 percent). The Center for a Competitive Workforce is studying six target industries expected to undergo significant middle-skill job growth between 2016 and 2021. The report said the center chose the entertainment industry for its first deep-dive study because of the concentration of jobs in the area, with particular emphasis on the disruption to traditional entertainment and media due to rising digital platforms such as Netflix Inc., Hulu and Amazon.com Inc. The Center for a Competitive Workforce is a partnership that includes the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.; 19 Los Angeles region community colleges; Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce; and the Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research at Mount San Antonio College.