Analysis ·
US data points in one direction: "something" has destroyed more than 200,000 creative jobs since 2022
Original title, in Spanish: “Los datos de EEUU apuntan en una dirección: "algo" ha destruido más de 200.000 empleos creativos desde 2022”
- Publication
- Xataka (Spain)
- Author
- Rubén Andrés
- Published on
- 5 October 2026 · read in the page structured data · updated on 5 October 2026
Summary
The article analyses US BLS employment statistics for the creative industries (film, publishing, broadcasting, graphic design), compiled by economist Joseph Politano. More than 200,000 jobs have been lost since 2022, including 50,000 over the past year, concentrated in production rather than distribution. The unemployment rate in the film industry stands at 10.7%, against 4.2% nationally on average. Several causes are mentioned: studio consolidation, offshoring of shoots, the rise of social media creators, the 2023 strikes, and the arrival of generative AI. Netflix used generative AI for a building collapse scene in "El Eternauta". According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, 32% of workers in arts and entertainment already use AI. Publishing has also lost 70,000 jobs in four years.
Summary based on the full text of the article.
Read the article on Xataka →Figures cited
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200,000 jobs
Jobs lost in the content creation industry in the United States since 2022
Film, television, publishing, broadcasting and graphic design industry, United States, 2022-2026
« registra una destrucción de empleos de más de 200.000 puestos en cuatro años, y 50.000 empleos solo en el último año »
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), analyse de l'économiste Joseph Politano
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50,000 jobs
Jobs lost in the creative industry over the past year
United States, the year to February 2026
« 50.000 empleos solo en el último año »
Source: BLS, Joseph Politano
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185,200 employees
Employees in film and video production in the United States
United States, February 2026 (compared with 289,100 in October 2022)
« En febrero de 2026, último mes de esa serie, sumaba un total de 185.200 empleados. Son 103.900 menos. »
Source: BLS
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10.7 %
Unemployment rate in the film industry in the United States
United States, recent period (compared with 4.2% overall unemployment)
« el paro del sector del cien llegó al 10,7%, frente a una tasa de paro general del 4,2% en EEUU »
Source: BLS
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32 %
Share of arts and entertainment workers using AI in their work
United States, arts and entertainment industry
« La Reserva Federal del Banco de St. Louis estima que un 32% de los trabajadores de artes y espectáculos ya la emplean en su trabajo. »
Source: Réserve fédérale de St. Louis
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70,000 jobs
Jobs lost in publishing (books, magazines, newspapers) over four years
United States, past four years
« Politano señala que el sector literario registra la destrucción de 70.000 empleos en edición (libros, revistas y periódicos) en los últimos cuatro años. »
Source: BLS, Joseph Politano
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48.7 index points
Newspaper employment index (2017 = 100)
United States, 2025 (compared with 100 in 2017 and more than 215 in 2007)
« En periódicos, el índice de empleo del BLS registró una puntuación de 100 en 2017, mientras que en 2025 cayó hasta el 48,7 puntos en el índice. »
Source: BLS
Classification
- Country
- United States
- Company size
- All sizes
- Industries
- Media, communications, marketing
- Companies
- Suno (cited), Xania Monet (cited), Barnes & Noble (cited), Réserve fédérale de St. Louis (study author), Netflix (deploys AI), Udio (cited)
- Keywords
- employment, creative industries, generative artificial intelligence, film, publishing, Hollywood
Entry written by Marsanne Studio from the cited article, with the help of an AI model (claude-sonnet-5). The rights to the article and its illustrations belong to Xataka and its author. Entry translated from French by Claude Sonnet 5.5.