Almost three quarters (74%) of workers in UK film and TV have considered leaving due to financial pressure over the past year.
The boss of the Film & TV Charity, which authored the Money Matters report, said the industry faces “serious risk” without “meaningful, co-ordinated action.”
The report painted a picture of an industry struggling to overcome a slowdown in work. The headline finding is that 74% have considered leaving the industry due to financial worries over the pas year and 43% have already taken firm steps to leave, an increase from 32% from the previous 2023 report.
The past couple of years have been defined by industry slowdown, with a squeezed middle seeing mid-budget shows drop out the market and a fall in American co-productions driven by the U.S. labor strikes impacting high-end scripted.
Of the 2,000 responses to Money Matters, 22% said they had experienced “sustained worklessness,” being out of work at the time of the survey and having worked fewer than three months in the last year. Just over a third (36%) had less than £1,000 ($1,360) in savings.
The report also showed up the disparity between freelancer struggles versus employees, with 46% of freelancers finding it difficult to manage financially compared to 27% of permanent staff. A government-appointed freelance champion was supposed to have been appointed by now in a role that would fight for the rights of thousands of freelancers.
Taken together, the report said, the findings show that the issue extends beyond short‑term fluctuations in work availability, meaning that even a sudden increase in available work would not resolve the financial crisis facing industry workers.
Marcus Ryder, who runs the charity, said: “Our latest Money Matters report shows that if the industry continues on its current path and doesn’t address the financial pressures faced by too many of its workers, we risk losing not just individuals but the collective expertise and creative excellence that power the UK’s screen industries.”
He added: “These sectors drive growth, innovation and cultural influence, yet the talent behind them is being choked off by financial insecurity. This report makes one thing clear: without meaningful, coordinated action, the film and TV industry faces a serious risk as more workers are forced to leave.”