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
Jun.
2008
Jul.
2008
Aug.
2008
Sep.
2008

Employment (in thousands)

 

Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)

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382.0 379.1 (P) 379.0 (P) 380.7

Employment, nonsupervisory workers

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297.1 288.1 (P) 286.3  

Unemployment

 

Unemployment rate

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9.3% 10.2% 11.1% 11.5%

Layoffs

 

Mass layoff events

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18 20 25  

Initial claimants for unemployment benefits

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2,889 2,620 5,086  

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

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

Union Membership and Representation

Data series Back
data
2004 2005 2006 2007

Union membership and representation

 

Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

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15.7% 15.0% 10.3% 11.5%

Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)

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16.4% 15.5% 10.6% 12.5%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Extended Mass Layoffs

Data series Back
data
3rd quarter
2007
4th quarter
2007
1st quarter
2008
2nd quarter
2008

Extended mass layoff events

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7 11 (P) 5 (P) 6

Separations

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1,271 2,996 (P) 3,897 (P) 1,562

Initial claimants

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1,624 5,067 (P) 2,459 (P) 1,562

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Mass Layoff Statistics)

Employment by Occupation

Data series Employment,
2007

Actors

10,340

Audio and video equipment technicians

6,790

Cashiers

24,720

Motion picture projectionists

10,280

Producers and directors

22,780

(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 for production or nonsupervisory employees, 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 Production Workers

Data series Back
data
May
2008
Jun.
2008
Jul.
2008
Aug.
2008

Average hourly earnings

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$20.65 $20.15 $19.85 (P) $20.17

Average weekly hours

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28.6 30.1 30.4 (P) 30.0

Footnotes
(P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

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data
Median weekly earnings
2004 2005 2006 2007

Union membership and representation

 

Full-time workers

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$805 $751 $813 $889

Members of unions

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$920 $1,210 $1,253 $1,225

Represented by unions

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$990 $1,192 $1,381 $1,093

Nonunion

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$762 $691 $748 $797

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Earnings by Occupation

Data series Wages, 2007
Hourly Annual
Median Mean Median Mean

Actors

$17.10 $28.83 (1) $- (1) $-

Audio and video equipment technicians

$18.39 $20.22 $38,240 $42,050

Cashiers

$7.64 $8.25 $15,880 $17,170

Motion picture projectionists

$8.77 $10.19 $18,240 $21,200

Producers and directors

$38.57 $45.04 $80,220 $93,680

Footnotes
(1) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.

(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 2003 2004 2005 2006

Fatalities

 

Number of fatalities

5 5 6 5

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

 

Total recordable cases

      2.0

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

      0.6

Cases involving days away from work

0.5 0.7   0.4

Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction

0.2 0.2   0.2

(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
1st quarter
2007
2nd quarter
2007
3rd quarter
2007
4th quarter
2007

Number of establishments

 

Private industry

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(P) 26,584 (P) 26,761 (P) 26,957 (P) 27,088

Local government

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(P) 11 (P) 11 (P) 10 (P) 10

State government

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Federal government

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(P) 6 (P) 6 (P) 6 (P) 5

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: October 08, 2008