More businesses have closed in the arts than any other sector, figures show

Official Government estimates suggest that 82% of businesses in the ‘Arts, Entertainment and Recreation’ industry have temporarily closed or ceased trading through the coronavirus crisis in England. This is the highest of all industrial sectors.

Similarly, the proportion of the employed arts workforce estimated to be on furlough is significantly higher than almost all other sectors. The average across the country as a whole is 27%,  but in the arts 68% are on furlough. This is lower than the 80% working in ‘Accommodation and Food Services’ activity, but still the second highest of all industrial sectors.

In two industries have fewer than one in ten employees on furlough – Education (4%) and Information and Communication (7%).

The estimates are based on figures reported in a survey of 6,150 respondents to the ONS Business Impact of Coronavirus survey, 23 March to 5 April 2020. More than one in five of the organisations that were still trading at the end of that week were expecting the size of their workforce to decrease yet further over the following two weeks.