Two-thirds of employers in the creative industries prioritise entry-level staff in their efforts to improve diversity – despite widespread agreement that they should be looking at roles across all career stages.
According to Creative Access’s Thrive Report 2024, 66% of companies admitted junior staff were their focus, though 80% agreed that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts should be made more broadly.
Only 32% of workers from underrepresented backgrounds feel positive about their future in the industry, with one in four saying finance was the biggest barrier.
Just 35% of employers have upped their DEI spend over their past year - down from 60% last year - and 41% of those surveyed admitted their DEI reporting is poor.
Among underrepresented groups, disabled individuals were the least optimistic, with 30% feeling positive - a drop of 13% on 2022's figure.
For staff from ethnically diverse backgrounds, 36% said organisational structure is the biggest hurdle to their career progression, while 26% of disabled people said location is the biggest hurdle.
One in four respondents said they had no access to mental health support, with working hours (19%), team dynamics (19%) and lack of focus on wellbeing (15%) the factors most impacting their mental health.
Freelancers
Meanwhile, 48% of freelancers said their volume of work had dropped this year; just 16% said they had secured more employment than in 2023.
"I have not progressed in my career for the last one and a half years, partly due to everything happening in the industry - the pullback in commissioning from the streamers, the strikes and the post-Covid backlog of production that happened at the end of 2022," one freelancer said.
Creative Access called on employers to extend flexible working and mental health support, where available, to freelancers.
The organisation's co-founder and executive chair Josie Dobrin said that when it comes to DEI, the creative industries are at a “critical juncture”.
Creative Agency spoke to 400 people - workers and employers - across the creative industries for the survey, with TV representing a quarter of responses.
Demohgraphically, 57% were Black, Asian or ethnically diverse, 44% from a low socio-economic background, and 27% were disabled.
She said: “Despite intentions to expand support beyond entry-level roles, data tells a different story, leading to decreased career optimism, especially among individuals with disabilities and freelancers facing a shrinking market.
“To foster true inclusivity bold actions are needed at all talent stages, including tailored career development programmes, mid-level positive action traineeships and elevating underrepresented mid- and senior-level employees.”
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