Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries: NAICS 512

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About the Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries subsector

The motion picture and sound recording industries subsector is part of the information sector.

Industries in the Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries subsector group establishments involved in the production and distribution of motion pictures and sound recordings. While producers and distributors of motion pictures and sound recordings issue works for sale as traditional publishers do, the processes are sufficiently different to warrant placing establishments engaged in these activities in a separate subsector. Production is typically a complex process that involves several distinct types of establishments that are engaged in activities, such as contracting with performers, creating the film or sound content, and providing technical postproduction services. Film distribution is often to exhibitors, such as theaters and broadcasters, rather than through the wholesale and retail distribution chain. When the product is in a mass-produced form, NAICS treats production and distribution as the major economic activity as it does in the Publishing Industries subsector, rather than as a subsidiary activity to the manufacture of such products.

North American Industry Classification System

The motion picture and sound recording industries subsector consists of these industry groups:

  • Motion Picture and Video Industries: NAICS 5121
  • Sound Recording Industries: NAICS 5122

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in motion picture and sound recording industries. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, union membership and representation, mass layoffs, data for occupations common to the industry, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment, Unemployment, and Layoffs

Data series Back
data		 Oct.
2011		 Nov.
2011		 Dec.
2011		 Jan.
2012

Employment (in thousands)

  

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)
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 356.5 359.5 (P) 362.3 (P) 354.4

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees
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 274.2 285.6 (P) 287.4  

Unemployment

  

Unemployment rate
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 10.5% 9.0% 9.2% 12.5%

Layoffs

  

Mass layoff events

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 12 15 36  

Initial claimants for unemployment benefits

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 1,742 2,114 13,520  

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey, Mass Layoff Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series Back
data		 2008 2009 2010 2011

Union membership and representation

  

Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)
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 11.4% 12.8% 9.3% 13.8%

Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)
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 11.7% 13.0% 10.6% 14.1%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series Back
data		 1st quarter
2011		 2nd quarter
2011		 3rd quarter
2011		 4th quarter
2011

Extended mass layoff events
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 24 26 (P) 66 (P) 46

Separations
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 7,053 6,159 (P) 18,288 (P) 17,971

Initial claimants
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 12,704 12,316 (P) 36,488 (P) 22,472

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2010

Actors

  

Audio and video equipment technicians

 6,020

Cashiers

 21,290

Motion picture projectionists

 8,880

Producers and directors

 28,800

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates, see the National Employment Matrix, which includes employment estimates by industry and occupation for motion picture and sound recording industries.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. In addition, recent hourly and annual earnings are shown for occupations commonly found in motion picture and sound recording industries.

Earnings and Hours of All Employees

Data series Back
data		 Sep.
2011		 Oct.
2011		 Nov.
2011		 Dec.
2011

Average hourly earnings
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 $28.36 $28.49 $27.53 (P) $27.44

Average weekly hours
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 29.4 30.3 30.2 (P) 29.6

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series Back
data		 Sep.
2011		 Oct.
2011		 Nov.
2011		 Dec.
2011

Average hourly earnings
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 $23.88 $23.70 $23.36 (P) $22.81

Average weekly hours
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 27.2 27.8 27.8 (P) 26.9

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series Back
data		 Median weekly earnings
2008 2009 2010 2011

Union membership and representation

  

Full-time workers
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 $883 $1,047 $917 $965

Members of unions
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 $1,664 $1,358 $1,111 $1,481

Represented by unions
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 $1,653 $1,351 $1,163 $1,481

Nonunion
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 $800 $924 $893 $926

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2010
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Actors

        

Audio and video equipment technicians

 $19.57 $22.46 $40,710 $46,720

Cashiers

 $8.85 $9.33 $18,400 $19,410

Motion picture projectionists

 $9.75 $10.71 $20,280 $22,270

Producers and directors

 $44.30 $52.58 $92,150 $109,360

(Source: Occupational Employment Statistics)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in motion picture and sound recording industries. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series 2007 2008 2009 2010

Fatalities

  

Number of fatalities

 3 8   (P) 4

Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers

  

Total recordable cases

 2.7 2.6 3.6 2.3

Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer

 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.8

Cases involving days away from work

 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.5

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments in motion picture and sound recording industries.

Establishments

Data series Back
data		 3rd quarter
2010		 4th quarter
2010		 1st quarter
2011		 2nd quarter
2011

Number of establishments

  

Private industry
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 26,410 26,614 (P) 26,164 (P) 26,341

Local government
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 10 10 (P) 9 (P) 9

State government
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Federal government
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 4 4 (P) 4 (P) 4

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Other BLS Resources

Career Guide to Industries

See motion picture and video industries in the Career Guide to Industries.

 

Data extracted on: February 10, 2012