The happy artist: an empirical application of the work-preference model

Abstract

The artistic labor market is marked by several adversities, such as low wages, above-average unemployment, and constrained underemployment. Nevertheless, it attracts many young people. The number of students exceeds the available jobs by far. A potential explanation for this puzzle is that artistic work might result in exceptionally high job satisfaction, a conjecture that has been mentioned at various times in the literature. We conduct the first direct empirical investigation into artists' job satisfaction. The analysis is based on panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Survey. Artists on average are found to be considerably more satisfied with their work than non-artists, a finding that corroborates the conjectures in the literature. Differences in income, working hours, and personality cannot account for the observed difference in job satisfaction. Partially, but not fully, the higher job satisfaction can be attributed to the higher self-employment rate among artists. Suggestive evidence is found that superior ''procedural'' characteristics of artistic work, such as increased variety and on-the-job learning, contribute to the difference in job satisfaction.

Precariousness during an ongoing crisis. Cultural workers and the corona pandemic

“…A meta-analysis of 63 studies of precarious employment shows that core characteristics are employment insecurity, income inadequacy, and lack of rights and protections (Kreshpaj et al, 2020). Careers in the cultural sector have traditionally been described as 'involving chronic unemployment and underemployment' (Bridgstock et al, 2015, p. 334) with a persistent supply surplus of artists and with job insecurity and low incomes (Menger, 1999;Steiner & Schneider, 2013). Also in Norway, there has been a surplus of cultural workers over time (Heian et al, 2015;Mangset et al, 2018).…”

“…At the same time, there are a limited number of permanent positions and an oversupply of artists and cultural workers, leaving precarious work arrangements as the only option for many cultural workers (Becker, 2008;Bielby & Bielby, 1999;Dowd & Pinheiro, 2013;Faulkner & Anderson, 1987;Menger, 1999). The intrinsic value of artistic work seems to compensate for precarious working conditions (Adler, 2021;Bridgstock et al, 2015;Hesmondhalgh & Baker, 2010;Jeffri & Throsby, 1994;Menger, 1999;Røyseng et al, 2007;Steiner & Schneider, 2013;Umney and Kretsos, 2015). Therefore, artists and cultural workers are constantly coping with the gap between the importance of the artistic job in itself and economic reality.…”

“…The cultural sector has for decades had a large proportion of workers in a precarious working situation due to a constant excess supply of recruits (Bennett, 2009;Bennett & Bridgstock, 2015;Dowd & Pinheiro, 2013;Eurostat, 2021;Faulkner & Anderson, 1987;Hennekam, 2017;Mangset et al, 2018;Menger, 1999, p. 545;Steiner & Schneider, 2013), and with a wide array of precarious work arrangements such as freelancing, self-employment, and temporary work contracts. In addition, cultural workers frequently combine different types of work arrangements (Ashton, 2015;Pollard, 2013;Throsby & Zednik, 2011).…”

Designed for the job? An empirical study on the determinants of design graduates’ work choices

“…The main hypothesis in the work preference model is that artists are intrinsically motivated to engage in their primary artistic occupation, and they will maximise the time spent on arts work. Hence, artists generally have a higher job satisfaction compared to non-artists, and psychic benefits play a key role for their preference towards arts work (Bille et al, 2013;Steiner & Schneider, 2013). The work preference model has been criticised on the basis that it is unable to fully explain why highly remunerated artists are also working outside the arts, and why a skewed income distribution towards the younger can be found in the labour market for artists (Rengers, 2002).…”

Usikkerhet i koronaens tid.

“…Karrierer innen kreative yrker har tradisjonelt blitt beskrevet som «involving chronic unemployment and underemployment» (Bridgestock, Goldsmith, Rodgers & Hern 2015: 334). Med et vedvarende tilbudsoverskudd av kunstnere, og med tilhørende jobbusikkerhet og lave inntekter (Menger 1999;Steiner & Schneider 2013). Også i Norge har det over tid vaert et tilbudsoverskudd av kunstnere (Elstad & Pedersen 1996;Heian mfl.…”