France employment: arts, entertainment & recreation
France employment: arts, entertainment & recreation stood at 704.8 thousand persons in 2025, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Annual national accounts table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1959 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Annual national accounts table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total employment (persons) | |||||||||||
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 704.8 | 692.1 | 671.3 | 646.9 | 614.1 | 586.6 | 607.1 | 602.7 | 608 | 604.5 | |
| Activities of households: employers, prod. of goods and serv. (own use) | 138.7 | 134.5 | 138.1 | 137.1 | 140.3 | 137.7 | 143 | 146.1 | 149.3 | 152.2 |
Understanding france employment: arts, entertainment & recreation
Worker headcounts dedicated to creative arts, theatrical productions, museum curation, gambling establishments, sports facilities, and amusement parks quantify engagement in cultural and recreational pursuits. This category isolates entertainment professionals, athletes, and cultural workers from hospitality and tourism services. Both salaried performers and independent artists earning income within these domains are counted.
Evaluating this measure requires acknowledging the prevalence of intermittent contracts, project-based work, and seasonal performance schedules, which are moderated by annualizing the series. Revisions to early estimates often occur due to delayed reporting from small cultural associations and independent venues. Users should avoid comparing entertainment staffing directly with standard commercial service sectors, given the unique funding models and subsidy structures supporting arts and recreation.
Frequently asked questions
- Are sports facilities and fitness centers included here?
- Yes, sports activities, amusement parks, and fitness facilities fall under arts, entertainment, and recreation.
- Does this headcount cover independent artists and performers?
- Self-employed creative workers and performers operating within this domain are captured in the total.
- How does project-based work impact data collection?
- Intermittent contracts and project work can lead to late reporting, prompting revisions in early estimates.