Unemployment of professional artists: empirical evidence from Australia

Abstract

This paper analyses the determinants of professional artists' unemployment. A sample of 1030 Australian artists was examined to determine the relationship between the probability of unemployment and artistic profession, education, origin and other demographic covariates. Special attention is focussed on factors influencing the probability of long‐term unemployment. It is found that artists in Australia are a heterogeneous labour market group, as regards exposure to unemployment and long‐term unemployment risk. The probability of unemployment episodes varies significantly depending on the artistic occupation: community cultural development workers, actors and directors are most likely to experience unemployment, while musicians and craftspeople are the least likely. Youth, disability, living in a capital city or in Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria or New South Wales, as well as level of tertiary education, can all increase the likelihood of unemployment episodes. On the other hand, participation in formal training in the artistic profession and living in a relationship or marriage are associated with a lower probability of unemployment. Being a writer or visual artist, living in the Northern Territory, and lower levels of education can increase the probability of experiencing long‐term unemployment. Neither gender, nor origin nor age affects the risk of long‐term unemployment of Australian artists.