Research Division Report #1 ~ 

National Endowment Employment and for the Arts

Unem.ployment~ 

April 1976 of-~Art~sts: 19 7 0 -19 7 5
 
Employment and
 

Unemployment
 

of Artists: 1970-1975
 
CONTENTS
 

Tables and Figures ..................................
 

Introduction ........................................
 4
 

Summary of Employment
 

and Unemployment Changes from 1974 to 1975 ........ 6
 

Appendix I Data Reliability and the Standard
 

How Many Artists .................................... 9
 

Error ............................... 21
 

Appendix II - Employment and Unemployment Trends.. 22
 

Appendix III- Need for Additional Employment ...... 23
 
Table 1
 

Table 2
 

Table 3
 

Table 4
 

Table 5
 

Table 6
 

Table 7
 

Table 8
 

Table 9
 

Table I0
 

Table ii
 

Table 12
 

Table 13
 

Figure 1
 

Figure 2
 

TABLES AND FIGURES 

Comparison of Unemployment for Selected 

Occupations with all Professional, Technical and Kindred Workers: 1974 and 1975 ...... 

Comparison of Unemployment for Writers, 

Artists and Entertainers with all Professional, Technical and Kindred Workers: 

1970 - 1975 ................................... 8 

Total Writers, Artists and Entertainers, 

Growth of Labor Force and Unemployment: 

1970 - 1975 ................................... i0 

Total Labor Force and Unemployment for 

Selected Artistic Occupations and Sex: 1970... 15 

Total Labor Force and Unemployment for 

Selected Artistic Occupations and Sex: 1971... 16 

Total Labor Force and Unemployment for 

Selected Artistic Occupations and Sex: 1972... 17 

Total Labor Force and Unemployment for 

Selected Artistic Occupations and Sex: 1973... 18 

Total Labor Force and Unemployment for 

Selected Artistic Occupations and Sex: 1974... 19 

Total Labor Force and Unemployment for 

Selected Artistic Occupatlons and Sex: 1975... 2O 

Class of Worker of Employed Persons by 

Detailed Occupation and Sex: 1970 ............. 25 

Self-employment as a Percent of Selected

Artistic Occupations Labor Force: 1970 ........ 26 

Employed, Experienced Unemployed, Not in 

Labor Force, But Worked 1960 to 1970, by 

Detailed Occupation and Sex: 1970 ............. 28 

Persons Not in Labor Force But Last Worked 

in Artistic Occupations 1960 to 1970, as a 

Percent of Selected Artistic Occupation 

Labor Force: 1970 ............................. 29 

Total Writers, Artists and Entertainers Labor 

Force, Employed and Unemployed, 1970 - 1975... ii 

Diagram of Possible Shifts in Labor Force

Status Within the Artistic Occupations ........ 27 

-3­
Introduction
 

The employment of persons in artistic occupations and the
 

complementary number of unemployed in artistic occupations are the subjects of this report. Information about
 

unemployment is always more urgent since it is a measure
 

of a serious deficiency. However, the two subjects cannot
 

be isolated from each other since they are based on the
 

same data. The relationship has been described as that
 

i/


of the doughnut and the hole.-­

Compilation of data on the unemployment and employment of
 

artists on a base comparable with the data for the total
 

U. S. population is possible because of the work of the
 

Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

The data used in this report for 1970 is from the 1970
 

Census of Population. The data for subsequent years is
 

from annualized monthly averages from the monthly Current
 

Population Studies conducted for the Bureau of Labor
 

Statistics by the Bureau of the Census. The Bureau of
 

l/ Shiskin, Julius, Commissioner of Labor Statistics,
 

"Employment and Unemployment: The Doughnut or the Hole?’~
 

Monthly Labor Review, February 1976, p. 3.
 

-4­
Labor Statistics has released to the National Endowment
 

for the Arts detailed data on artistic occupations for
 

1971 - 1975 that has not been made available through its
 

regular publications.
 

The style adopted for this report uses tables to present
 

the main body of information about employment and unemployment. Tables 1 - 3, and Figure I, are a summary data
 

presentation in simple form. The following Tables 4 - 9
 

are very detailed and provide data that should be helpful to readers interested in the statistical basis for
 

the percent unemployment that is reported. The text is
 

a brief summary of highlights from the tables. Three
 

Appendices with several tables and a figure complete
 

the report. This final material is very technical and
 

is intended for persons who are specially concerned
 

about the reliability of the data and its use for trend
 

projection as well as needs for additional research.
 

In reading the report, the differences in the data source
 

for 1970 and 1971 - 1975 should be remembered. The statistical reliability of the data for the latter years is much
 

less because of the differences in sample size. "Standard
 

Errors" are shown in Tables 3 - 9. The use of this measure
 

for data reliability is discussed in the appendices.
 

-5­
Summary of Employment
 

and Unemployment Changes From 1974 to 1975
 

The most striking observation from the examination of
 

employment and unemployment data for the artistic occupations is the increase in the total work force that has
 

occurred in recent years. In 1975, the employment of
 

artists continued to increase and the total experienced
 

Writers, Artists, and Entertainers labor force grew at a
 

rate of 5.5%. Changes in unemployment followed the general
 

trend of the U. S. population and was substantially greater
 

in 1975 than in 1974. Table 1 summarizes the percent unemployment for selected artistic occupations in 1974 and 1975.
 

The percent unemployment increased for most of the selected
 

occupations and was substantially greater than for all Professional, Technical, and Kindred Workers. The increase
 

or decrease in the percent unemployment for these two years
 

should be interpreted carefully in the light of the Standard
 

Errors shown in Tables 8 and 9 and Appendix II on Employment and Unemployment Trends. Table 2 compares percent
 

unemployment for Writers, Artists, and Entertainers with
 

that of all Professional, Technical, and Kindred Workers
 

for the period 1970 - 1975.
 

-6­
TABLE 1
 

COMPARISON OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR SELECTED
 

OCCUPATIONS WITH ALL PROFESSIONAL,
 

TECH~ICAL AND KINDRED WORKERS: 1974 and 1975
 

1974 1975 Change 

All Professional, Technical & Kindred Workers 2.3% 3.2% +.9% 

Architects 2.7% 5.4%
 +2.7%
 

Actors
 47.4% 35.0% -12.4%
 

Authors
 2.1% 4.3% +2.2%
 

Dancers , ,
 

Designers
 2.3% 7.4% +5.1%
 

Musicians & Composers
 4.1% 7.9%
 +3.8%
 

Painters & Sculptors
 3.2% 5.8% +2.6%
 

Photographers
 3.8% 6.2% +2.4%
 

Data base is too small to Drovide a meaningful estimate.
 

!/ See Appendix II and Standard Errors in Tables 8 and 9.
 

Source: See Tables 8 and 9 for data source.
 

-7­
TABLE 2
 

COMPARISON OF UNEMPLOYMENT FOR WRITERS,
 

ARTISTS AND ENTERTAINERS WITH ALL PROFESSIONAL,
 

TECHNICAL AND KINDRED WORKERS: 1970 - 1975
 

% Unemployment


% Unemployment All Professional,
 

Writers, Artists Technical and
 

& Entertainers Kindred Workers
 

4.6%	 1.8%
 

1971 7.1%	 2.9%
 

1972 ~/ 5.6%	 2.4%
 

1973 	~/ 4.8% 2.2%
 

1974 	~/ 4.8% 2.3%
 

1975 7.4%	 3.2% 

!/	 Table 51, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of 

Population: 1970 Subject Reports Final Report

PC(2)-7A, Occupational Characteristics. 

Unpublished data furnished by the Bureau of
 

Labor Statistics.
 

-8­
How Many Artists?
 

In the 1970 Census, the total of Writers, Artists, and
 

Entertainers in the labor force was 797~574 persons. The
 

Bureau of Labor Statistics data for 1975 is 1,055,000
 

persons in the same group. The increase reflects a compounded annual growth rate for the 5 year period of 5.7%.
 

At this rate of growth, the labor force of artists would
 

double in a period of about 12.5 years. Data on the
 

growth of the artistic occupations labor force for the
 

1970 - 1975 period is presented in Table 3. Figure 1
 

illustrates graphically the rise in this labor force
 

during the period and the changes in the subgroups of
 

the unemployed and employed.
 

unemployment of Artists
 

For 1975, the percent unemployment of all Professional,
 

Technical, and Kindred Workers is 3.~/o. This compares
 

with 7.4% for the Writers, Artists, and Entertainers
 

occupational group. Among the selected artistic occupations in 1975, the following unemployment rates are
 

reported:
 

Architects -- 5.4%, Actors -- 35.~, Authors -- 4.3%,
 

Designers -- 7.4%, Musicians and Composers -- 7.~,
 

Dancers -- (inadequate data), Painters and Sculptors -- 5.~, and Photographers -- 6.~.
 

-9­
04~ 

0 

0 0 

00

0 o

0 

0 

0 0

0 00

0 0o

o 

00

0 0o

0 

000

0 

0 00

0 

00

0 

0 
 

FIGURE 1
 

TOTAL WRITERS, ARTISTS AND ENTERTAINERS LABOR
 

FORCE, EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED: 1970 - 1975
 

i0050,000­

1,000,000­ Total Writers, ~
 

Artists & ~
 

950,000 - Entertainers ~
 

900,000­

850,000 ­

.Empl°yed. i
 Writers, Artists
 800,000­ & Entertainers
 

i00,000
 

50,000­

Unemployed
 

Writers, Artists
 

& Entertainers
 

I I I I I I
 

1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975
 

Source: Table 3
 

-ii­
Unemployment of Writers, Artists, and Entertainers as a
 

broad occupational group was 4.6% in 1970. In the five
 

years since 1970, the percent of unemployment of Writers,
 

Artists, and Entertainers fluctuated annually and roughly
 

followed the trend in unemployment of all Professional,
 

Technical, and Kindred Workers but at a rate 2 to 21⁄2
 

times greater.
 

Tables 4 - 9 present a detailed analysis of the total
 

experienced labor force for selected artistic occupations, the number and percent unemployed, and Standard
 

Errors of the percent unemployed statistics. This data
 

is provided for Architects, Actors, Authors, Dancers,
 

Designers, Musicians and Composers, Painters and Sculptors,
 

and Photographers, for both sexes combined and separately.
 

Similar statistics are provided in these tables for the
 

larger group of all Professional, Technical, and Kindred
 

Workers for comparison. Separate tables are provided for
 

each year from 1970 to 1975.
 

As a result of the difference in the basis for the 1970
 

Census and the annualized averages from the Current
 

Population Studies data for the subsequent years, standard Errors of percent unemployment are fairly large
 

for some of the occupations in 1971 - 1975. Users of
 

-12 ­
this report are cautioned against plotting an unemployment trend line with the data for individual artistic
 

occupations reported in Tables 4 - 9 before considering
 

the information in Appendix II, Employment and Unemployment trends.
 

A very significant observation from the examination of
 

the tables for the six years is. the very great difference
 

in unemployment in the artistic occupations. Unemployment
 

is most severe among Actors ranging from a high percentage
 

of 47.4% recorded in both 1971 and 1974 to a low of 33.4%
 

recorded in 1970. The percent unemployment of Actors in
 

1975 is 35%, close to the low of 33.4% in 1970, and contrasts with unemployment among the other artistic occupations as the only one in which there was a decrease in 1975.
 

As the Standard Errors of percent unemployment of Actors
 

are fairly high, caution should be taken in making trend
 

comparisons.
 

Dancers are .second in percent unemployment ranging from a
 

low of 14.5% in 1970 to a high of 3~ in 1971. The data
 

on unemployment of Dancers is considered unreliable except
 

for the Census Year 1970 and comparisons with other occupations should be limited to that year. This is because of
 

-13 ­
the relatively small number of Dancers and the difficulty
 

of obtaining satisfactory data for this occupational group
 

in the sample used for the monthly Current Population
 

Studies.
 

In contrast to Actors and Dancers, the other selected
 

artistic occupations in Tables 4 - 9 are represented by
 

a sufficiently large number of persons in the labor force
 

so that the data on percent unemployment is more useful.
 

-14­
TABLE 4
 

TOTAL LABOR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
 

SELECTED ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS AND SEX: 1970
 

Total
 Standard
 

Experienced Number
 Error
 

Labor Force Unemployed % Unem- % Unem­

(thousands) (thousands) ployment ployment
 

All Professional, Technical & Kindred Workers 110667.0 215.1 1.8% .1%
 

Male 6,992.3 116.4 ~ .1%
 

Female 4,674.7 98.7 2.1% .1%
 

Architects 57.1 0.8 1.4%
 .4%
 

Male 54.9 .7 1.3% .4%
 

Female 2.1 .04 2.0% 1.7%
 

Actors 14.1 4.7 33.4% 2.2%
 

Male 8.2 2.6 32.2% 2.9%
 

Female 5.9 2.1 35.0% 3.4%
 

Authors 26.0 i.i 4.1% .6%
 

Male 18.1 .7 4.1% .8%
 

Female 7.9 .4 4.1% 1.2%
 

Dancers 6.___~9 1.0 14.5% 2.2%
 

Male 1.3 .3 20.9% 5.5%
 

Female 5.7 .8 13.3% 2.3%
 

Desiqners 112.3 3.5 3.1% .2%
 

Male 85.2 2.0 2.4% .3%
 

Female 27.1 1.5 5.5% .7%
 

Musicians & Composers 96.5 6.5 6.7%
 .3%
 

Male 63.7 5--~ 8.0% .7%
 

Female 32.9 1.4 4.1% .7%
 

Painters & Sculptors 107.5 4.1 3.8% .2%
 

Male
 67.9 2.0 2.9% .3%
 

Female 39.6 2.1 5.3% .6%
 

Photoqraphers 66.0 2.0 3.0% .3%
 

Male 56.5 1-q~ 2.4% .4%
 

Female 9.4 .6 6.7%
 1.1%
 

Source: Table 51, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census of Population:
 

1970 Subject Reports, Final Report PC(2)-7A0 Occupational Characteristics.
 

-15­
 

TABLE 5
 

TOTAL LABOR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
 

SELECTED ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS AND SEX: 1971
 

Total Standard
 

Experienced Number Error
 

Labor Force Unemployed % Unem- % Unem­

(thousands) (thousands) ployment ployment
 

All Professional, Technical & Kindred Workers I1,416 331 2.9% .1%
 

Male 6,933 188 2.7% .1%
 

Female 4,483 143 3.2% .1%
 

Architects 70 1 1.4% .8%
 

Male 6--7 Y 1.5% .8%
 

Female 3 0 * ­

Actors 19 9 47.4% 7.7%
 

Male i-~ ~ ~ ~
 

Female 8 5 * ­

Authors 33 2 6.1% 2.5%
 

Male 21 1 4.8% 2.8%
 

Female 12 i 8.3% 4.6%
 

Dancers i0 3 30.0% 8.7%
 

Male 1 1 * ­

Female 9 2 * ­

Designers 106 7 6.6% 1.4%
 

Male 7---~ ~ 5.1% 1.4%
 

Female 28 3 10.7% 3.5%
 

Musicians & Composers 126 i_~0 7.9% 1.5%
 

Male 82 8 9.8% 1.9%
 

Female 45 2 4.4% ~.9%
 

Painters & Sculptors 130 5 3.8% 1.0%
 

Male 8---~ ~ 2.4% 1.0%
 

Female 48 3 6.3%
 2.0%


81 4 4.9% 1.3%
 Photographers m
 

Male 67 2 3.0%
 1.2%


4.5%
 Female 13 1 7.7%
 

* Data base is too small to provide a meaningful estimate.
 

Source: Unpublished data furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

-16­
 

TABLE 6
 

TOTAL LABOR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
 

SELECTED ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS AND SEX: 1972
 

Total Standard
 

Experienced Number Error
 

Labor Force Unemployed % Unem- % Unem­

(thousands) (thousands) ployment ployment
 

All Professional, Technical & Kindred Workers i10741
 282 2.4% .1%
 

Male
 7,110 153 2.2% .1%
 

Female 4,631 129 2.8% .1%
 

Architects 68 2
 2.9% 1.1%
 

Male
 66 2 3.0% 1.2%
 

Female
 2 0 * ­

Actors
 18 8 44.4% 8.1%
 

Male
 13 5 38.5% 8.7%
 

Female 5 3 * ­

Authors
 31 1 3.2% 1.9%
 

Male 18 1 5.6% 3.4%
 

Female 13 0 * ­

Dancers 6 1 *
 

Male Y 5 *
 

Female 5 1 *
 

Designers 113 3 2.7% .9%
 

Male 9f
 ~ 2.2% .9%
 

Female 21
 1 4.8% 2.9%
 

Musicians & Composers 130 9 6.9% 1.3%
 

Male
 9--~ ~ 8.7% 1.8%
 

Female
 39 1 2.6% 1.4%
 

Painters & Sculptors 137 8 5.8% 1.3%
 

Male 7----~ ~ 5. i----~/oI. 4%
 

Female
 60 4 6.7% 1.9%
 

Photoqraphers 80 3 3.8% 1.2%
 Male
 6--7 ~ 3.0% 1.2%
 

Female
 13 1 7.7% 4.5%
 

* Data base is too small to provide a meaningful estimate.
 

Source: Unpublished data furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

-17 ­
 

TABLE 7
 

TOTAL LABOR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
 

SELECTED ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS AND SEX: 1973
 

Total Standard
 

Experienced. Number Error
 

Labor Force Unemployed % Onem- % Unem­

(thousands) (thousands) ployment ployment
 

All Professional, Technical & Kindred Workers 12,037 260 2.2% .1%
 

Male 7,186 120 1.7% .1%
 

Female 4,852 141 2.9% .1%
 

Architects 74 1 1.4% .8%
 

Male 72 1 1.4% .8%
 

Female 2 0 * ­

Actors 16 7 43.8% 8.3%
 

Male 7 3 * ­ Female 8 4 * ­

Authors m39
 _I 2.6% 1.5%


Male 18 0 * ­ Female 20 0 * ­

Dancers i0 2 20.0% 7.5%
 

Male 3 1 * ­

Female 7 1 * ­

Desi@ners __125 _2
 1.6% .7%


Male 98 1 1.0% .6%
 

Female 27 1 3.7% 2.1%
 

Musicians & Composers __129 _9 7.0% 1.3%
 

Male 88 6 6.8% 1.6%
 

Female 41 3 7.3% 2.2%<~
 

Painters & Sculptors 141 5 3.5% .9%
 

Male 8----~ ~ 3.8% ~
 Female 60 2 3.3% 1.3%
 

Photo@raphers 7_~6 _l 1.3% .7%
 

Male 63 1 1.6% .9%
 

Female 13 0 * ­

* Data base is too small to provide a meaningful estimate.
 

Source: Unpublished data furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

-18­
 

TABLE 8
 

TOTAL LABOR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
 

SELECTED ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS AND SEX: 1974
 

Total Standard
 

Experienced Number
 Error
 

Labor Force Unemployed % Unem- % Unem­

(thousands) (thousands) ployment ployment
 

All ~rQfessional, T@chnical & Kindred Workers 12~623 285 2.3% .1%
 

Male 7,482 136 i. 8%
 ~
 Female 5,142 150 2.9% .1%
 

Architects 73 2 2.7% 1.0%
 

Male 71 2 2.8%
 1.1%
 

Female 2 0 * ­

Actors 19 9 47.4% 7.2%
 

Male
 ii 5 45.4% 9.7%
 

Female 8 4 * ­

Authors 47 1 2.1%
 1.2%
 

Male 27 1
 3.7% 2.1%
 Female 21 1
 4.8% 2.8%
 

Dancers 7 2 *
 

Male 1 0 *
 

Female 5 1 *
 

Desiqners 13--2 3 2.3% .8___~%
 Male 99 T 1.0% .6%
 

Female 33
 2 6.1% 2.5%
 

Musicians & C.omposers 146 6 4.1% 1.0%
 

Male
 102 4 3.9% I. 1%
 

Female 44 1 2.3%
 1.3%
 

Painters & Sculptors 154 5 3.2% .9%
 Male 89
 ~
 2.2% .9~
 Female
 65 3 4.6% 1.5%
 

Photoqraphers 79 3 3.8% 1.2%
 Male 6-~ Y
 1.5% .9%
 Female
 13 1 7.7% 4.5%
 

* Data base is too small to provide a meaningful estimate.
 

Source: Unpublished data furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

-19 ­
 

 

TABLE 9
 

TOTAL LABOR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT FOR
 

SELECTED ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS AND SEX: 1975
 

Total
 Standard
 Experienced Number
 Error
 Labor Force Unemployed % Unem- % Unem­

(thousands) (thousands) ployment ployment
 

All Professional, Technical & Kindred Workers 13,173
 

Male
 

Female
 

Architects
 

Male
 

Female
 

Actors
 

Male
 

Female
 

Authors
 

Male
 

Female
 

Dancers
 

Male
 

Female
 

Designers
 Male
 

Female
 

Musicians & Composers
 Male
 

Female
 

Painters & Sculptors
 Male
 

Female
 

Photographers
 Male
 

Female
 

7,700
 

5,474
 

74
 

7--[
 

3
 

20
 

i-~
 

7
 

47
 

2-~
 

20
 

8
 

~
 

5
 

135
 

i0---~
 

34
 

151
 

i0--~
 

47
 

155
 

84
 

72
 

81
 

6--7
 

14
 

425
 

219
 

207
 

4
 

4
 

0
 

7
 

3
 

4
 

2
 

0
 

1
 

2
 

y
 

1
 

i0
 

-~
 2
 

m12
 

9
 

3
 

9
 

~
 

4
 

5
 

~
 

1
 

3.2%
 

2.8%
 

3.8%
 

5.4%
 

5.6%
 

*
 

35.0%
 

23.1%
 

*
 

4.3%
 

*
 

5.0%
 

*
 

,
 

*
 

7.4%
 

8.7%
 

5.9%
 

7.9%
 

8.7%
 

6.4%
 

5.8%
 

5.9%
 

5.6%
 

6.2%
 

6.0%
 

7.1%
 

.1%
 

.1%
 

.1%
 

1.5%
 

1.6%
 

_
 

6.9%
 

7.2%
 

_
 

1.6%
 

_
 

3.0%
 

1.4%
 

1.6%
 

2.4%
 

1.4%
 

1.7%
 

2.1%
 

1.1%
 

1.5%
 

1.6%
 

1.6%
 

1.7%
 

4.4%
 

* Data base is too small to provide a meaningful estimate.
 

Source: Unpublished data furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

-20­
 

APPENDICES
 

Data Reliability and the Standard Error
 

"Standard Error" (S. E.) is a commonly used measure
 

of sampling variability, that is, a measure of the degree
 

of confidence that can be attached to a statistic which is
 

estimated by a sampling method rather than a complete count.
 

An individual statistic estimated from a sampling procedure will vary from the "true" figure that would have been
 

obtained from a complete count by an unknown amount due to
 

chance. HOwever, if the Standard Error of an estimated number is known, statistical theory permits a specific interpretation of the estimated number’s reliability in terms of
 

probabilities. There is approximately a 2 out of 3 chance


(6~) that the difference (either plus or minus) between a
 

sample estimate and the true figure is greater than the
 

estimate’s standard error. There is about a 95% probabability that the difference between the estimate and the
 

true figure is less than twice the Standard Error. For
 

example, (from Table 3), there is approximately a 95%
 

probability that the true percent unemployment of all
 

Writers, Artists, and Entertainers in 1975 was between
 

6.4% and 8.4% E7.4% - 2 (.5) to 7.4% + 2 (.5)7 About
 

a 5% chance remains that the true value falls outside
 

of this range. This range is sometimes called the "95%
 

confidence range,,’ and is a commonly used benchmark as


an indication of data reliability. The Standard Errors
 

shown in this report have been computed using error tables
 

furnished by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 

A further technical note: The basic concept behind
 the construction of a confidence range in this way requires
 

that the sample size be reasonably large. A substantial
 

number of the unemployment rates given in Tables 5 through
 

9 are based on very small samples and it is not valid to
 

interpret a confidence range as more than a rough indication
 

of reliability in these cases. For example,~ in sev.~ra~
 

cases, the lower limit of a 95% confidence range wou-~id: be
 

less than ~ unemployment, obviously an impossibility. This
 

problem also arises in cases of moderately large samples
 

-21 ­
but with a very low estimated rate of unemployment. Even
 

in such cases, however, the calculation of a confidence
 

range can provide a still useful, though often very crude,
 

indication of reliability. As noted in the tables, cases
 

marked with an asterisk are based on samples so small that
 

neither the percent unemployed nor a measure of its reliability would be accurate enough to be considered useful.
 

Accordingly, all cases in Tables 5 - 9 with less than
 

I0,000 persons estimated in the total labor force or
 

with zero unemployment are marked by an asterisk in the
 

percent unemployed column.
 

II. Emp!oyment and Unem~loyment Trends
 

Some of the data for individual occupations presented
 

in Tables 4 - 9 indicate substantial changes in unemployment
 

from year.to year or overall 5 year trends. However, because
 

of the data reliability problem arising from the very small
 

samples in some cases, most such year to year changes and
 

trends cannot be confidently attributed to other than variations that would be expected to occur due to chance errors
 

in estimation. There are statistical testing procedures
 

available to calculate the probability that a particular
 

statistic varies from year to year because the true figure
 

has varied rather than because of chance fluctuation, i/
 

A number of the noticeable annual fluctuations in unemployment for the individual occupations do not pass these tests,
 

and it is generally suggested that Tables 4 - 9 should not
 

be used to plot trend lines. However, the total Writers,
 

Artists, and Entertainers in Table 3 can be used to plot
 

a trend line because of the improved reliability that results
 

from the aggregation of data. This trend line is plotted in
 

Figure I.
 

I/ One convenient test uses the Standard Error of the two
 

numbers to be compared (S. E.1 and S. E.2 ) to compute
 

the Standard Error of the estimated difference between
 

them (S. E.2 - i)- In an identical fashion to the process involving a single statistic, a confidence region
 

can be constructed for the difference between the two
 

estimates. The formula for the standard error of the
 

difference between 2 estimates is:
 

S’E’2 - 1 = ~(S.E.1 )2 + (S.E.2)2
 

where S. E.I and S. E.2 are the standard errors of
 

the two estimates.
 

-22­
III. Need for Additional Research
 

A. Seasonality_.gf Employment. Part of the lore of


the artistic occupations is seasonality in employment. This
 

is thought to be the greatest for Actors, Musicians, and
 

Dancers. Similarly, Architects’ employment lore suggests
 

a broad peak starting at the beginning of the construction
 

season and continuing at a fairly high level until late fall
 

when construction activity tends to diminish. Other artistic
 

occupations such as Painters and Sculptors, Photographers,
 

and Designers are believed to have relatively lower degrees
 

of seasonality in their employment. The data currently
 

available for study is too limited to permit assessment of
 

seasonality. The data obtained in the 1970 Census was based
 

on employment in the week prior to the Census, namely, the
 

last week of March, 1970. This might have been a period of
 

relatively low employment in the year for artists in the
 

performing arts occupations, but was probably a peak period


of employment for architects. The available data does not
 

permit the appropriate adjustments to be made. Therefore,
 

the data shown in Table 4 for 1970 may be misleading with
 

respect to percent unemployment of Architects, shown at a
 

fairly low level of 1.4%, if compared with the annualized
 

monthly coverages for 1971 - 1975; and similarly too high
 

for Actors, Dancers, and Musicians and Composers. The
 

data presented for years 1971 through 1975 is based on an
 

annualized monthly average and is not revealing of ,seasonal
 

variations of employment.
 

Virtually no research has been done on the subject
 

of seasonality in unemployment in the artistic0occupations.
 

This topic should be part of a broad series of studies to
 

acquire a far better understanding of the characteristics
 

of employment in the artistic occupations.
 

B. Shifts in Employment Status. A general problem in


the measurement of employment and unemployment is that the
 

characteristics and conditions of the work force are not
 

static but are constantly changing in many ways. Of particular importance in the artistic occupations are multiple
 

employment, sometimes referred to an "moonlighting," and
 

movements between classifications in which employment and
 

-23­
unemployment are measured. Unfortunately, however, very


little information is available for analysis. Part of
 

the lore of artistic occupations such as Musicians and
 

Composers, Painters and Sculptors, and Writers, is that
 

many individuals derive their principal income from non-


artistic occupations. No measure of this condition is
 

presently available. In addition, it is believed that
 

many persons in artistic occupations frequently shift
 

status or maintain a dual status between working for
 

wages and self-employment. For example, a Musician
 

working for wages may also be a self-employed music
 

teacher and Painters and Sculptors, and Writers, may
 

work at home or in studios as self-employed individuals
 

without deriving income for their work for long intervals
 

of time. The distinction between an unemployed artist and
 

a self-employed artist without income is largely a personal
 

self-view. Table 10shows the numbers of persons in artistic occupations working for wages or self-employed in 1970,
 

while Table Ii shows self-employment as a percent of the
 

artistic occupation labor force. Figure 2 diagrams the
 

relationships between the several possible categories of
 

employed and unemployed individuals in the artist labor
 

force. In addition, a very large group of individuals
 

are to be found in a group not employed or currently
 

seeking employment that are therefore excluded from the
 

labor force total. This includes individuals who are
 

keeping house, at school, ill, or retired. There are
 

undoubtedly substantial shifts between such individuals
 

and those who are working for wages, self-employed, and
 

unemployed. Table 12 shows the numbers of persons who
 

last worked in artistic occupations but were not counted
 

in the labor force in 1970, while Table 13 shows the
 

persons not counted in the labor force as a percent of
 

the labor force. This group exceeded i00,000 individuals
 

or about i/8th as large as the artist labor force in 1970.
 

Full understanding of the importance of shifts
 

of status to the measurement of employment and unemployment of artists is not possible with currently available
 

information. Substantial additional research is required
 

as part of a broad program to improve understanding of the
 

artistic occupations.
 

-24­
 

TABLE i0
 

Class of Worker of Employed Persons by Detailed Occupation and Sex: 1970 

Wage and salary workers 

Pr,vote wage and SoIor~


United States workers Governmen! workers
 

Employee Sdf- Unpaid of own Total Total corporohon employed family Total Federal Stole Local workers workers 

Male. |6 years old and aver 47 730 /~,I 35 975 960 970 910 

Art h,~ecls 6 711 592 2 190 565 1 617 682 2 903 345 4 918 ’213 54 19a 30 740 Teochers. college ond umvers,ly 3 404 6 717 3 477 I 760 352 429 I 480 117 971 16 716 21 234 458 19 859 7 051 3 86t 201 041

531 785 

12 808 81 10 697 2 030 396 625 13 776 47 090 20 568 17 I0~ 9 414 5 567 4 527 86 762 Alhle/es and klndred workers ..... 80 349 66 36 115 24 027 150 691 784 4 951 397 I 775 ] 7 322 9 739 247 I 836 I 510 2 779 6 947 

I 005 5 645 267 59

83 227 21 21 72 491 41 [dHors and relx~rlers. " .... 3 275 3 797 1 583 89 008 1 681 76 545 I 836 7 613 4 289 6 873 i 6 2 676 4 695 15 

58 528 39 612 I 107 ] 524 268 533 723 65 934 42 782 1 969 17 ITS 21 

55 1,17 32 844 4 020 2 353 

7 9~6 a 191 I 017 6.~) 18 9,6~ 16 ~ 015 2 765 I 010 14 281 5a 038 4.4 219 ? 812 2 470 19 Iga 476 3 471 I 871 2 523 126 949 324 440 aa 933 1 2V /0~ 861 ~ 252 3 115 185 218 

Female, ! 6 yeers old end ove¢ 2 331 806 8 705 274 ............
 018 704 16~ 91S Arch~leClS ....................................... $ 676 261 I 0~1 794 1 431 626 3 156 ~1.7 ~o~oJ i ~ 072 291 467
 1 339 Teachers college and univ~,rs~lv 79 176 64 60 52 526 139 278 : 49 620 49 Art drama, and mus< ........................ _ 89 65~
 10 526 ! 4 497 2 141 70 724 793 Wnler$ Orh$1s, and enlerlomer$ ....... 229 309 I l I 000 6 029 74 4 837
 ,,.I Aclor$ ...... 2 928 21 076 7 367 3 855 3 0~6 7 524 6 1-85 35 36O I 87~ Athleles and kindred workers .......... " ..... 14 051 4~6 II0 230
 262 21 Aulhors " " 9 715 96 2 273 99 274 .......................... 7 611 2 947 274 0~.cer$ .................................. I 832 ; 231
 i~ ~. ;. 979 539 334
 4 552 3 524 161 Designers 60 24 36 25 603 20 524 289 [dffors ond repome~s ................... ~9 104 50 437 409 

718 611 147 298
 166 4 275 193 6 039 3 329 2 267 443 183 Mu$,oons and composers ............... . ....
 31 496 25 372 iOl 1 768 538 1 004 37 459 22 336 226 4 298 Photographers ........................ 625 2 771 805 1 354
 8 8O3 S 6~1 612 II 903 186 777 367 327 19 229 IS 072 83 2 083 262 329 3 I~0 875 I 088 1 197 1 344 I 130 851 146 

IS 853 IO 148 109 lOS 87 18 184 2 047 84~ 691 510 3 489 169 

Source: Table 51, Bureau of the Census, Census of Population:
 1970 Subject
 Reports, Final Report PC(2)-7A0 Occupational Characteristics.
 
 

TABLE ii
 

SELF-EMPLOYMENT AS A PERCENT OF SELECTED
 

ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS LABOR FORCE: 1970
 

Architects 30.8%
 

Actors 12.4%
 

Authors 32.5%
 

Dancers 4.1%
 

Designers 8.3%
 

Musicians & Composers 29.3%
 

Painters & Sculptors 28.7%
 

Photographers 45.8%
 

Source: Table i0
 

-26­
FIGURE 2
 

DIAGRAM OF POSSIBLE .SHIFTS
 

IN LABOR FORCE STATUS WITHIN
 

THE ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS
 

WORK SELF


~
 

FOR WAGES ~
 EMPLOYED
 

UNEMPLOYED ARTISTS
 

NOT EMPLOYED AND NOT
 

SEEKING EMPLOYMENT BUT
 

LAST WORKED IN AN
 

ARTISTIC OCCUPATION
 

ARTIST
 

LABOR
 

FORCE
 

NOT COUNTED
 

AS PART OF
 

THE ARTIST
 

LABOR FORCE
 

-27­
 

TABLE 12
 

Emp|oyed, Experienced Unemployed, Not in Labor Force, But Worked 1960 to 1970, by Detailed 

Occupation and Sex: 1970 

Mole Female 

United States Experienced civilian.labor force 

Total Emidoyed 

Experienced 

unemployed 

Not in 

labor force,

Io~t worked 

1960 to 1970 

Experienced civilian labor force. 

Experienced 

Totol Employed unemployed 

Not in 

labor force, 

last worked 

1960 to 1970 

Total, 16 yee~ ~dd ond ove~ . 49 536 472 47 730 661 1 ~05 011 9 31~6 30 .534 6S8 29 074 $10 1 460 148 17 461 616 

Architects ............................ 54 948 54 194 754 4 908 2133 2090 43 

Teachers. college and university ......................... 354 671 352 4~9 2 242 141 741 139 278 2 463 44 6~-J 

Art, drama, and mus=c ............................. 19 992 19 859 133 966 I0 662 10 526 136 

Writers. orhsts, and entertainers__ 

Actors ........................................... 

Athletes and kmdred workers ........................ 

Author~ ......................................... 

Dancers ......................................... 

Designers ........................................ 

E4itors 0nd rep0~ers ............................... 

5,54 123 

8 213 

37 998 

18 069 

1 271 

85 243 

91 501 

531 785 

5 567 

36 115 

17 322 

I 005 

83 227 

89 008 

22 338 

2 646 

1 883 

747 

266 

2 016 

2 493 

75 307 

~ 141 

15 697 

2 181 

4O3 

6 049 

8 828 

243 451 

5 927 

14 987 

7 93S 

5 653 

27 082 

61 483 

229 309 

3 855 

14 051 

7 611 

4 901 

25 603 

59 104 

14 142 

2 072 

936 

324 

752 

I 479 

2 379 

,25 215 

5 814 

18 078 

3 328 

4 733 

12466 

25 255 

Musicians and composers 

Pointers and sculptors .............................. 

Photographers .................................... 

63 677 

67 917 

56 526 

58 528 

65 934 

55 147 

5 149 

1 983 

1 379 

12 508 

6 310 

6 493 

32 860 

39 559 

9 434 

31 496 

37 459 

8 803 

1 364 

2 100 

631 

14 999 

17 587 

4 704 

Public relations men and publicity writers

Radio and television announcers ...................... 

55 698 

20 873 

54 638 

20 361 

I 060 

512 

5 536 

1 702 

20 154 

1 423 

19 229 

1 344 

925 

79 

8 470 

887 

Writers, ortisls, and entertainers, n.e.c 47 137 44933 2 204 6 4~9 16 954 15 853 1 101 8 894 

Source: Table 51, Bureau of the Census, Census of Population: 1970 Subject
 

Reports, Final Report PC(2)-7A, Occupational Characteristics.
 
 

TABLE 13
 

PERSONS NOT IN LABOR FORCE BUT LAST
 

WORKED IN ARTISTIC OCCUPATIONS 1960
 

TO 1970, AS A PERCENT OF SELECTED
 

ARTISTIC OCCUPATION LABOR FORCE: 1970
 

Architects
 i0.0%
 

Actors
 63.3%
 

Authors
 21.2%
 

Dancers
 74.2%
 

Designers 16.5%
 

Musicians & Composers
 28.5%
 

Painters & Sculptors
 22.2%
 

Photographers
 17.0%
 

Source: Table 51, U.S. Bureau of the
 

Census, Census of Population: 1970 Subject Reports, Final Report PC(2)-7A,


Occupational Characteristics.
 

-29­
C. Data FrgquencY. The best data available at the
 

present time for the study of employment and unemployment
 

of artists are from the decennial censuses conducted by the
 

Bureau of the Census. This data is fairly detailed and
 

makes possible the study of many aspects of the employment
 

and unemployment of artists. However, the ten year interval
 

is so great that comparisons from census to census are a
 

coarse measure of change. Within the ten year interval,
 

the annualized monthly averages data available from the
 

Bureau of Labor Statistics provides some interesting information that is helpful in understanding gross trends in
 

employment and unemployment for the aggregate group of
 

Writers, Artists, and Entertainers and selected occupational
 

classifications. This data, however, is less accurate because of the sample size and many of the detailed data
 

elements of the decennial census are not included.
 

A change of the census period from the ten year


interval to a five year interval beginning with 1985 is now
 

proposed in the Authorization Bill for the 1980 Census.
 

This change would provide a significant improvement in the
 

data available for the study of the artistic occupations.