In February 2020, 87,000 people worked in this sector, according to state figures. Against around 30,000 since April.
The hecatomb is confirmed. Among New York City’s economic sectors, the arts, entertainment and entertainment industries have borne the brunt of the health crisis. Employment there plummeted 66% in 2020, reports the site Hyperallergic . Hiring in the sector, which includes museums and performance halls, theaters and opera houses, as well as sports halls and casinos, also saw the slowest improvement across all industries. This is the conclusion of a report by the State comptroller’s office (OSC), the comptroller of the state finances, which is, along with California, one of the cultural epicenters of the United States. If in February 2020, nearly 87,000 people had been hired in this sector, this figure had collapsed to 34,100 in April, to stagnate at this level since December.
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The comparison with the year preceding the outbreak of the health crisis is striking. In December 2019, the number of hires in museums, historic sites and other cultural institutions during the past year amounted to 13,800. Against only 8,700 in December 2020. That is to say a fall of about 37%, specifies an employee of the OSC. While some of these areas have resumed welcoming audiences as part of New York State’s phased reopening plan, most performance venues and sports have not been permitted. Two of the city’s flagship institutions, the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Ballet, have announced that they will not reopen before September 2021.
Since last March, 59% of businesses in the art and entertainment sector in New York have closed their doors, according to Crain’s New York. In such a context, many of them were threatened with disappearance and had to rely on federal aid, received by more than 60% of cultural places. To absorb the shock, other museums have taken drastic measures, such as drawing on donation reserves or selling works. The Metropolitan Museum of Art recently announced that it is considering parting with a few pieces, in order to finance the maintenance of its collections and the payment of salaries.
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Good news, on the other hand, for the performing arts. In December, Congress passed an aid plan providing for $ 15 billion (12.4 billion euros) for American theaters that had to lower the curtain. Aid has not yet started to be distributed, but should provide some breathing space. Financial Controller Thomas DiNapoli hammers it: according to him, the cultural sector will not recover without increased help from the government. “The Covid-19 has had a profound and negative impact on the industry. It forced establishments to close, threw thousands into unemployment and put businesses on the verge of bankruptcy, he said on Wednesday. The challenges facing the art and entertainment sectors require direct and sustained support from decision-makers if they are to preserve the city’s rich cultural offer.»
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