Good Practice Reminders
Below are a few of the most useful good practice guidelines, with particular reference to employment statistics for the Cultural Sector.
1. Be transparent in the presentation of data
When presenting research that utilises quantitative data on the cultural sector, include a full technical annex to the main body of the report.
One of the major obstacles to comparisons of the many regional Creative Industries studies that have now been undertaken in the UK is that different levels of aggregation are used in presenting the statistics. Some studies utilise the thirteen separate sub-sectors, whereas others utilise higher-level groupings such as 'Content-based industries' or 'Design-based industries'.
Without knowing exactly which SIC/SOC codes were used to generate each category, comparison from one study to another and from one region to another is very difficult. So, disaggregate employment figures as far as possible, i.e. to the lowest level of SIC/SOC.
2. Be clear as to what it is that you want to measure
There is a tendency in some studies of employment within the Cultural Sector to blur the distinction of what it is that is being analysed.
There are basically two options.
i) To measure employment within the Cultural Sector (or a particular sector or industry thereof) – in which case all employment within the relevant cultural domain(s), both cultural and non-cultural (e.g. accountants, managers etc.) should be included.
OR
ii) To measure employment in cultural occupations – in which case, only those working in cultural occupations (as listed in Table 2) should be included, though these will be spread across all sectors of the economy.
At present, there is a tendency within some studies to take the first measure of employment given above and add to it figures on the level of cultural employment in all other sectors, such as musicians working in schools or product designers working in manufacturing. This is not just logically inconsistent, it also runs counter to how sector studies are conducted for other areas of the economy.
3. Cultural and non-cultural activity, or, the subtle difference between 4 digit level data and 5 digit level data
The standard definition lists a number of 5 digit SIC codes for cultural activities. Unfortunately, data is made much more widely available at the 4 digit level. The 5 digit codes were chosen as they provide greater clarity and accuracy.
In many cases, SIC data aggregated at the higher 4 digit level will also be perfectly adequate. For instance, 92.31/2 Other artistic and literary creation and 92.31/1 Live presentation are the two sub-divisions of one 4 digit code, 92.31 Artistic and literary creation and interpretation, which is a 100% 'cultural' code. In this instance, the only issue to watch out for in the shift from 5 digit to 4 digit is that the two 5 digit codes are spread across two domains, Visual Art and Performance. Therefore, when the data is therefore used at the 4 digit level, care needs to be taken that it is only counted once in the aggregate figures (despite it having a relevance to both domains).
However, in a number of other cases, when the data is aggregated at the higher 4 digit level, cultural activities become lumped together with other non-cultural activities. As an illustration, the 5 digit code for architecture (74.20/1) is a sub-division of a 4 digit code named 'Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy' (74.20). At this higher level, the 4 digit code incorporates surveying, geological prospecting for oil and gas, weather forecasting, and a whole range of engineering activities – as well as architecture. In these cases, it is obvious that data at the 4 digit level should not be included in calculations pertaining to the cultural sector.
There are eleven 5 digit SIC codes used in the standard definition that should not be used at the 4 digit level:
32.20/2 Manufacture of television and radio transmitters etc.
34.20/3 Manufacture of caravans
36.50/1 Manufacture of professional and arcade games (inc. equipment for casinos, and funfairs)
51.43/1 Wholesale of records, tapes, CDs and videos, and of the playback equipment
51.47/5 Wholesale of musical instruments
51.47/6 Wholesale of photographic goods
52.48/5 Retail sale of sports goods, games and toys
55.30/1 Licensed restaurants
71.40/1 Renting of sporting & recreational equipment
74.20/1Architectural activities
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