Arts Impact on the National Economy: Facts Provided by the Business Committee for the Arts

• The arts are a greater contributor to the health of the U.S. economy than one might imagine. Every year not-for-profit arts organizations generate $37 billion in their communities, more than $25 billion in personal income, $790 million in local taxes, $1.2 billion in state taxes, and $3.4 billion in federal taxes.
• The arts account for 6% of the U.S. Gross National Product. The construction industry accounts for 4.8%.
• The arts employ 2.7% of the American workforce, or 3.2 million individuals. Agriculture employs 2.6% .
• Employees involved in the community activities of their employers, like volunteering for arts organizations the company supports, are 30% more likely to want to continue working for that company, and to help it succeed. (IEG Sponsorship Report, 1999).
• Of the thousands of businesses that supported the arts in 1997, 36% believe the general public is more likely to purchase products and services from companies they know support the arts.

(Source: The CEO Challenge, A Conference Board/Hendrick & Struggles Survey of 656 CEOs, 1999; BCA Report)