California’s creative economy employs over 1.8 million workers, accounting for nearly 7.6% of the state’s workforce. In addition, the state’s creative economy directly contributes 14.9% ($507.4 billion) of the state’s $3.4 trillion economy—larger than the gross regional products of other major metro areas, including Seattle ($480.0 billion), Philadelphia ($477.6 billion), and Miami ($417.1 billion). Accounting for the sector’s ripple effects through business-to-business transactions (indirect impacts) and employee spending (induced impacts), the creative economy generated nearly $980 billion statewide in 2021.
