UKâs Creative Industries are alive and well

According to figures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) released earlier this week, the UK’s Creative Industries are very much alive and well. In fact, the advertising and marketing sector leads the way in job growth and diversity over the last five years.

The figures, released as part of a week-long DCMS campaign titled #CreateUK, highlight the continued success of the UK’s Creative Industries, the number of jobs increasing three times faster than the UK average for example. In fact the advertising and marketing sector leads the rest of the creative sector, with a 23% increase in jobs over the last five years, compared to the 19.5% growth for the wider Creative Industries.

The UK is a world leader in the creative industries, particularly in digital and data-driven marketing, so it’s fantastic to see our sector driving growth in both jobs and the economy. The DCMS estimates that the Creative Industries now generate £84 billion a year for the UK economy – that’s £10m an hour.

There may be some uncertainty following the result of the EU Referendum about the future of our industry, but I believe we will continue to lead the globe in creative industries, especially in advertising and marketing.

That’s not to say we should become complacent. There are challenging times ahead and our industry must sustain the recruitment of both talented creatives and creative data analysts. We have a wealth of talent in the UK already. We now have to ensure this talent has a secure route into our sector in the future as well as attracting the brightest talent from across the globe.

One thing I’m sure of is that the UK’s creative industries will remain strong, leading others the world over in creating jobs, increasing diversity and driving growth.