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About this report
This report on UK film and video employment by sector is based on data from the Annual Population Survey (APS), a continuous household survey covering the UK. Topics covered by the survey include employment and unemployment, as well as housing, ethnicity, religion, health and education.
The table below provides summary information and links to original data sources for all reports published on this website:
| Report title | First published | Data source | Period covered | Data released | Next update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK film and video employment by sector | Sept 2024 | APS | Jan to Dec 2023 | Aug 2024 | TBC |
| UK film and video workplaces and enterprises | Sept 2024 | IDBR | Year to Mar 2023 | Sept 2023 | Sept 2024 |
SIC codes used in this analysis
Film and video production:
- 59111: Motion picture production activities
- 59112: Video production activities
- 59120: Motion picture, video and TV post-production activities
Film and video distribution:
- 59131: Motion picture distribution activities
- 59132: Video distribution activities
Film exhibition:
- 59140: Motion picture projection activities
The About page contains further details on what activities are included and excluded within each SIC code.
Employment by sector
People in employment include individuals aged 16 or over who undertook paid work (as an employee or self-employed), those who had a job that they were temporarily away from, those on government-supported training and employment programmes, and those doing unpaid family work. Estimates are based on small sample sizes and are therefore subject to a margin of uncertain. Treat with caution. Figures are shown to the nearest 1,000.
Table 2 shows the number and percentage of self-employed workers in the film and video production workforce. Numbers in employment are shown to the nearest 1,000. Due to low sample sizes, there are no reliable estimates for self-employed workers in the distribution and exhibition sectors.
Employment by location
In 2022, an estimated 55% of the film and video production workforce was based in London and the South East.1 This compares with 30% for the UK workforce as a whole (Figure 2). Due to small sample sizes, the Office for National Statistics has not been able to provide estimates for 2023.
Footnotes
The South East region wraps around London so includes the major studios to the west of the city.↩︎