Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries: NAICS 512

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.
2009
Nov.
2009
Dec.
2009
Jan.
2010

Employment (in thousands)

 

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

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353.8 350.6 (P) 345.0 (P) 343.0

Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees

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243.0 247.7 (P) 246.4  

Unemployment

 

Unemployment rate

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9.6% 10.7% 17.7% 12.3%

Layoffs

 

Mass layoff events

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26 21 20  

Initial claimants for unemployment benefits

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7,449 2,773 4,439  

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

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

Union Membership and Representation

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data
2006 2007 2008 2009

Union membership and representation

 

Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

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10.3% 11.5% 11.4% 12.8%

Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

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10.6% 12.5% 11.7% 13.0%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Extended Mass Layoffs

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data
4th quarter
2008
1st quarter
2009
2nd quarter
2009
3rd quarter
2009

Extended mass layoff events

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7 17 (P) 12 (P) 10

Separations

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1,129 3,088 (P) 2,773 (P) 1,496

Initial claimants

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1,877 7,604 (P) 4,978 (P) 3,127

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2008

Actors

11,300

Audio and video equipment technicians

6,700

Cashiers

24,030

Motion picture projectionists

9,730

Producers and directors

24,890

(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

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data
Sep.
2009
Oct.
2009
Nov.
2009
Dec.
2009

Average hourly earnings

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$28.65 $29.39 $28.78 (P) $28.34

Average weekly hours

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29.0 29.2 30.2 (P) 29.3

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

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data
Sep.
2009
Oct.
2009
Nov.
2009
Dec.
2009

Average hourly earnings

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$22.36 $22.98 $22.19 (P) $22.05

Average weekly hours

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28.2 29.3 29.8 (P) 28.9

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

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data
Median weekly earnings
2006 2007 2008 2009

Union membership and representation

 

Full-time workers

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$813 $889 $883 $1,047

Members of unions

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$1,253 $1,225 $1,664 $1,358

Represented by unions

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$1,381 $1,093 $1,653 $1,351

Nonunion

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$748 $797 $800 $924

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2008
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Actors

(1) $- (1) $- (1) $- (1) $-

Audio and video equipment technicians

$18.88 $20.93 $39,280 $43,540

Cashiers

$8.11 $8.72 $16,860 $18,140

Motion picture projectionists

$9.39 $10.75 $19,540 $22,360

Producers and directors

$41.30 $47.69 $85,900 $99,190

Footnotes
(1) Estimate not released.

(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 2005 2006 2007 2008

Fatalities

 

Number of fatalities

6 5 3 (P) 8

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

 

Total recordable cases

  2.0 2.7 2.6

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

  0.6 0.8 0.9

Cases involving days away from work

  0.4 0.6 0.6

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

  0.2 0.2 0.3

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

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data
3rd quarter
2008
4th quarter
2008
1st quarter
2009
2nd quarter
2009

Number of establishments

 

Private industry

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26,873 27,150 (P) 26,720 (P) 26,844

Local government

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10 10 (P) 10 (P) 10

State government

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Federal government

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5 5 (P) 5 (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 09, 2010