New York report reveals 66% drop in arts employment due to pandemic

A report from the New York State Comptroller's Office documents the devastating impact of COVID-19 on New York City's arts and culture sector. Before the pandemic, from 2009 to 2019, arts employment had grown 42%, with 93,500 people employed in 6,250 businesses in 2019, earning an average salary of $79,300 and generating $7.4 billion in total wages. By December 2020, employment in the sector had fallen 66% compared to the previous year, the largest decline of any economic sector in the city. Major museums including MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art implemented staff cuts. The hardest-hit neighborhoods were Chelsea, Clinton, and Midtown Manhattan, home to major galleries and theaters. The report calls for direct government support, clear reopening guidelines, use of outdoor spaces, federal aid, vaccine access, and coordination between state and city authorities to revive the cultural sector.