Why is this important?

The Creative Economy plays a critical role in economic as well as cultural vitality.  For-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations and institutions help to brand the region as an exciting place to live and work, create jobs across a broad range of skills, talents and areas of interest, generate tax revenues for the Commonwealth, attract tourists, and help to develop and retain “Creative Class” talent for the knowledge economy on which the region depends for future growth.  Boston is home to thousands of creative businesses and, as the de facto capital of New England, anchors the region’s Creative Economy.

How are we doing?

According to a 2006 report released by Americans for the Arts, The Creative Industries in Massachusetts, the number of creative cluster businesses in Massachusetts increased to 14,621 from 14,233 in 2004—up 2.8%.  However, employment in Massachusetts’ creative industries is down from 80,686 to 72,204 in 2004--or down 3%.   The New England Foundation for the Arts report New England's Creative Economy: The State of the Public Cultural Sector--2005 Update shows that while Massachusetts remains the driving force in New England’s cultural economy, its rate of growth is slower than in other states.  In 2002— the last year for which data are available—New England’s nonprofit creative industries contributed more than $3.7 billion to the regional economy, with Massachusetts’ nonprofit creative industries contributing roughly $2.1, or 60%, to the regional creative economy.

A 2006 report released by the Boston Redevelopment Authority entitled Boston’s Creative Economy shows that Boston’s creative industries are the driving force in the Metro Region’s creative economy.  In 2002—the most recent year for which data is available—Boston’s for-profit and nonprofit creative industries accounted for $10.7 billion of the $12.7 billion gross creative economic output.  This includes total employment created both directly and indirectly by the creative industries, total personal income generated by these jobs and the total Gross Regional Product of Metro Boston’s creative industries.