The work-preference model and the broader creative workforce: theory and application

Models of artist labor supply, like the work-preference model, assume that artists are intrinsically motivated to engage in creative work. This intrinsic motivation leads artists to engage in artistic creation despite the availability of outside employment options that have higher and more consistent pay and benefits. In this study we hypothesize that intrinsic motivation to work in the arts extends beyond artists to other workers employed in the creative industries, as these workers may have affinities for the organizations for which they work. Such intrinsic motivation is likely to have negative labor market consequences for these workers in the form of outcomes like low pay and poor benefits like those observed for artists. We test this hypothesis using American Community Survey data. Across occupations, workers in the creative industries in the United States earn less and are more likely to be employed part-time than comparable workers in other industries.