UK Film Exhibition Workforce Survey 2022

18 July 2022

We are delighted to have collaborated with the independent cinema office in the design and analysis of the UK film exhibition workforce survey. This report gives an overview of the results from that survey, which provide a snapshot of who is working in film exhibition, what needs to change, and what skills and training the sector requires to develop.

This type of data had not been collected for over a decade and, with 602 responses, this is the most comprehensive survey ever undertaken of the UK film exhibition sector.

Download the full survey results here

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. We hope we will honour your investment of time by advocating for change that makes a difference to everyone’s ability to work in and enjoy the cinema.

There are some encouraging results in the survey - for example the most significant area of training undertaken by respondents was in diversity and inclusion. However, there are also some more sobering findings: the results reveal a population skewed towards those from higher socio-economic backgrounds; and 40% of respondents have undertaken unpaid work experience to accelerate their career. We commend the sector for its response to the survey, and look forward to the response and actions arising from the results.

Key Findings:

The number of jobs is heavily weighted towards London and the South East (36%).
The industry does not currently reflect the ethnic diversity of the UK, especially as the largest proportion of respondents are from London and the South East (89% of respondents were white, compared with 86% of the UK working age population and 60% of the London population).
Over half the sector (56%) come from a more privileged background.
40% of people had undertaken unpaid work experience at some point in their career.
A higher proportion of people identified as having a health condition, impairment or learning difference than the general UK working population. A majority of those who identified as disabled identified as having a mental health problem.
Only a very small number of respondents identified as having a mobility impairment, as Deaf or hearing impaired, or Blind or visually impaired. This indicates that barriers to those people participating in the industry still need to be dismantled.
Although there was small gender pay gap at junior levels, for senior leadership there was an 8% gap between men and women.
Half of survey respondents have never had professional training.

Guest User1 August 2022