New research by the Crafts Council claims that craft skills contribute £3.4billion GVA (Gross Value Added) annually to the UK economy. The report, Measuring the Craft Economy, looks at occupations and industries that utilise craft skills, creating a set of economic estimates for the sector.
Based on the findings, the report concludes that the contribution craft makes to the UK economy is much bigger than was previously thought. A breakdown of the figures, based on data from 2012-13, claims that: £745million is contributed to the economy through the craft sector; £243million is contributed through creative industries such as fashion, film and architecture; and a further £2.4billion contribution is made to the wider economy in industries including bio-medicine, science and engineering.
The research was made possible following a review in 2013 of how the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) measures and classifies craft occupations, which the Crafts Council contributed to.
Rosy Greenlees, executive director of the Crafts Council, said: “This research gives us, for the first time, evidence of how vital craft skills are the to the UK’s economy. They contribute to a wide range of industries – many of which the UK leads the world in. We look forward to continuing our work with the government to ensure that craft’s value is reflected in official economic statistics.”
Download the full report: www.craftscouncil.org.uk/measuring-the-craft-economy
