Publishing employment grows by 3.9%

Employment in publishing grew by 3.9% in 2018, giving it the third highest growth in all UK creative industry sectors, new statistics show.

Figures released by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) show publishing employment growth was double the average of the whole creative industries. One in ten jobs in the creative industries in 2018 were in publishing.

According to the statistics, publishing employment grew from 192,000 jobs in 2017 to 199,000 in in 2018. Only architecture and music, performing and visual arts had higher growth.

Stephen Lotinga, c.e.o. of the Publishers Association, said: “It’s great to see that publishing employment grew in the period covered by these new figures – a key indicator of a vibrant, growing, successful industry and of the enduring popularity of the books and journals being produced.

“Beyond direct employment, publishing also indirectly supports many other jobs and industries. The creative industries are powering the growth of the UK workforce and publishing is playing a key role in that.”

However, the 2018 publishing figures were down on the furthest year the statistics went back to, 2011, when there were 211,000 jobs.

As a whole, jobs in the creative industries rose by 1.6%, to just over 2m, in 2018, accounting for 6.2% of UK jobs.