A major new research study commissioned by Arts Council England has revealed that employment in the arts and culture has increased by over 150,000 jobs in the UK in the past ten years. Conducted by the University of Warwick’s Institute for Employment Research, the study, Artists in figures: a statistical portrait of cultural occupations, paints a picture of a vibrant and economically active cultural sector in which individuals in cultural employment often sacrifice potential earnings and job security to follow their chosen career. The report’s findings show that at the end of 2000, 760,000 people were employed in cultural occupations in the UK, compared with 610,000 in 1993. Since 1993, unemployment within the pool of cultural labour has declined from 9.5 percent to just 2.5 percent. Peter Hewitt, Arts Council Chief Executive, said: 'The arts are a growing source of employment and an increasingly important part of our economy. Just in terms of hard economics, people working in the arts and culture contribute more to society than they take out – and that's before taking into account their positive and transforming impact on the quality of life in this country.’ Artists in figures: a statistical portrait of cultural occupations is available online HERE.