I heard Richard Florida on the radio this morning. You may remember him as the author of The Rise of the Creative Class, which traced "the fundamental theme that runs through a host of seemingly unrelated changes in American society: the growing role of creativity in our economy."
Anyway, he was talking about America's post-crash geography and mentioned that, while recessions have been traditionally bad for the working class, the creative class is still doing alright. When I checked the stats to which he was referring, I found that "alright" really means "less bad."
Turns out, as in the past, this recession is extra hard on the working class. Jobs in production are down 12.9% since last year, and jobs in "construction & extraction" are down 14.2%. By comparison, jobs in arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media, as well as jobs in architecture and engineering, are down a mere 5.4%. So, "down," but not "as down."
Where is growth happening? In the sectors Florida calls "eds and meds," that is, higher education and healthcare. For example, jobs in "healthcare support" have increased by 10.4% year over year.
My question is: Does this mean that marketing, communication, design work related to healthcare is also or will be on the rise? What are you finding?
Image Courtesy of Buster McLeod.
A healthcare-related publications company I used to work for is still expanding (incidentally, they recently added a higher education division). They're opening a new location in another region of the country, and seem to be doing as great as they always have.
I've been graphic design job-hunting for six months, yet a laid off friend of mine who is a nurse, rebounded within a couple of weeks.
Healthcare definitely is thriving, which is to be expected. I can't think of any possible correlation that would suggest economic downturn leads us to greater health. With that, it seems to follow that the healthcare industry can still afford everything that it could before.
The importance of good communication materials is still a growing realization, and where there is money for it, there is an increased need for it. Where there isn't money for it, it becomes less of a priority. People are willing to get by with their existing literature, and there is only so much faith that can be put into advertising to people who don't have money.
This is of course, an economic theory from someone who is unemployed, but companies have tough decisions to make. I'm not sure if the creative class is a necessity or a luxury, but it undeniably makes the world a better place. Businesses wouldn't cut back on it if they had the money to pay for it.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Jacob. While companies may be willing to make due with soon-to-be outdated printed materials or forgo advertising or direct mail campaigns, we have seen at least some indication that they are willing to pursue web-based marketing initiatives, which they view as less expensive and increasingly effective. I think that the creative folks feeling the greatest pinch at this point are those with a strong background in print who have not yet made the transition to web or interactive design.