The 2025 creative industry report card: trends, wins, and what’s next
The creative economy in 2025 tells two stories at once. On one side: explosive growth. Creative services exports hit $1.4 trillion globally. The creator economy surged past $200 billion. AI adoption among creative professionals reached 83%.
On the other: mounting anxiety. Graphic artist jobs declined 33% in two years. More than half of creators still earn below a living wage. Only 32% of creative workers feel optimistic about their careers.
How do you make sense of these contradictions? We’re grading the year—report card style—so you know where the industry actually stands, what it means for your work, and how to prepare for 2026.
Why a report card?
Dense industry reports from UNCTAD, the World Economic Forum, and IAB pile up every quarter. Most go unread. A few trends make headlines. The rest stays buried.
A report card cuts through the noise. Letter grades force clarity: what’s working, what’s failing, and what needs attention. We’re grading six dimensions of the creative industry, with specific implications whether you’re hiring creative talent or working as a creative yourself.
Economic growth: B+
The numbers: Global creative services exports reached $1.4 trillion in 2023, up 29% since 2017, according to UNCTAD’s Creative Economy Outlook. The broader entertainment and media industry hit $2.9 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2029. The creator economy alone grew to an estimated $191-250 billion, with US creator ad spend hitting $37 billion—a 26% year-over-year jump.
Why not an A: Growth is uneven. The top 10% of creators capture most of the value. Traditional creative goods exports have stagnated. And regional disparities persist: developing countries still capture only 20% of creative services exports, despite recent gains.
If you’re hiring: Budgets for creator partnerships should increase. The 26% growth in creator ad spend signals where marketing dollars are flowing. Expect higher rates as demand outpaces supply for proven talent.
If you’re creating: The market is expanding, but the spoils go to the positioned. Diversified income streams and clear specialization separate those capturing growth from those watching it pass by.
2026 prep: Build direct relationships with mid-tier creators (clients) or establish multiple revenue channels (creators). The era of mega-influencer dependence is ending for brands; the era of platform dependence should end for creators.
AI integration: A-
The numbers: Adobe’s October 2024 study found 83% of creative professionals now use generative AI. Among Gen Z and Millennials, adoption runs even higher—92-94%. Creators report 20% time savings on average. Upwork data shows AI-specialized freelancers command a 22% hourly premium, and generative AI skills grew 220% year-over-year on the platform.
Why not an A: The productivity gains come with displacement pain. Analysis of 180 million job postings found computer graphic artist roles down 33% over two years. Photographer and writer positions each dropped 28%. The WEF estimates 59% of workers will need reskilling by 2030.
If you’re hiring: AI-augmented services offer faster turnaround at lower cost. But execution speed isn’t everything—creative direction and strategic thinking remain human advantages. Specify whether you want AI-assisted or traditional work in your briefs.
If you’re creating: With 91% of creators already using AI, non-adoption means falling behind. The premium goes to those who combine AI efficiency with human judgment, not those who compete with AI on speed alone.
2026 prep: Invest in AI tool proficiency now. Position your work as AI-enhanced rather than AI-replaceable. For hiring managers: update evaluation criteria to assess how candidates leverage AI, not just whether they do.
Creator earnings: C
The numbers: Despite the market’s explosive growth, 57% of creators earn below a living wage. The top 10% of earners rely on seven or more revenue streams. The median sits far below: most creators depend on brand deals (68.8%) that may or may not materialize.
Why not lower: The infrastructure for creator monetization is improving. Platforms like YouTube have paid over $100 billion to creators in the past four years. Video podcasts are growing. Direct-to-fan models are maturing.
Why not higher: Growth at the top masks stagnation in the middle. The “passion economy” promise hasn’t delivered for most. Without structural changes, the creator economy risks becoming a tournament model where few win and many struggle.
If you’re hiring: Rates reflect reality—good creators know their worth. Lowballing loses access to talent. Consider hybrid models where creators share in performance upside.
If you’re creating: Diversification isn’t optional. Brand deals alone can’t sustain a career. Products, services, subscriptions, and community offerings build resilience. Think like a business, not a content machine. Pricing with confidence starts with understanding your value.
2026 prep: For creators: add at least one direct-to-fan revenue stream. For clients: explore performance-based partnerships where creator earnings align with business outcomes.
Skills and upskilling: C+
The numbers: The World Economic Forum reports that 63% of employers cite skills gaps as the primary barrier to business transformation. Nearly 60% of today’s workforce will need reskilling by 2030. Generative AI skills are surging, but broader capabilities—strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, ethical judgment—lag behind.
Why not higher: Most upskilling remains reactive. Companies are scrambling to fill gaps rather than building ahead of demand. Individual creators are self-teaching AI tools without frameworks for quality, ethics, or long-term positioning.
If you’re hiring: Don’t just look for AI skills—look for learning capacity. The tools will change. The ability to adapt won’t.
If you’re creating: Structured learning beats scattered experimentation. Identify three skills that compound your value and invest systematically. AI prompting is table stakes; creative direction, client management, and specialized expertise are differentiators.
2026 prep: Build a learning plan, not a learning wish list. Block time weekly. Prioritize skills that AI can’t easily replicate: synthesis, judgment, relationship management, and domain expertise.
Job security: C
The numbers: Creative execution roles are declining. Graphic artists: down 33%. Photographers and writers: each down 28%. California creative jobs remain 7.1% below pre-pandemic levels. LA shooting days dropped 42% compared to 2022, with only 26% of strike-lost positions recovered.
Why not lower: Creative direction and strategy roles show resilience. The WEF projects net positive job creation by 2030—78 million new jobs globally. The transition is painful, but not terminal.
If you’re hiring: The talent pool is shifting. Execution generalists are plentiful; strategic specialists are scarce. Structure roles around judgment and oversight, not task completion.
If you’re creating: Execution-only positioning is increasingly risky. Move up the value chain: consulting, creative direction, training, or specialized niches where AI struggles. The middle is eroding; the edges are holding.
2026 prep: Audit your role. If it can be described as “produce X outputs per week,” it’s vulnerable. If it requires context, relationships, and judgment, it’s defensible. Reposition accordingly.
2026 outlook: B
The numbers: Employer optimism remains cautious. 86% of employers expect AI to drive transformation, but only 48% of CEOs plan to increase freelance hiring. The creator economy is projected to reach $528 billion by 2030—but that growth will likely concentrate among established players unless platform dynamics change.
What’s promising: Hybrid work models are stabilizing. Hybrid workers show 35% engagement rates versus 27% for in-office workers. Flexibility is becoming expected, not exceptional. Direct-to-fan creator models are maturing.
What’s concerning: DEI momentum is stalling. Only 32% of creative workers feel optimistic about their careers. 50% of Black workers in UK creative industries considered leaving in 2024. The industry’s growth isn’t being shared equitably.
If you’re hiring: Plan for a blended workforce: in-house strategic roles, flexible creative partners, and AI-assisted production. The org chart of 2026 won’t look like 2023.
If you’re creating: Your moat is specificity. Generalist creators compete with AI and each other. Specialists with clear positioning, direct audience relationships, and diversified income have staying power.
2026 prep: Define your niche (creators) or clarify your talent strategy (clients). The market is maturing past “creator economy hype” into sustainable business models. The co-op model offers one path forward. Position for that reality.
The bottom line: B-
The 2025 creative industry earned a B-. Market fundamentals are strong—growth is real, opportunity is expanding, and infrastructure is improving. But workforce transitions are painful, earnings inequality is stark, and optimism among creative workers is worryingly low.
The path forward isn’t mysterious. For clients: invest in relationships with proven creative partners, embrace AI-augmented services where appropriate, and recognize that talent costs are rising for good reason. For creators: diversify income, build direct audience relationships, and position for strategic value rather than execution volume.
The creative economy is growing. The question is whether you’re positioned to capture that growth—or watching it flow past.
Your 2026 prep checklist
If you’re hiring creative talent:
- Increase creator partnership budgets (align with 26% market growth)
- Update briefs to specify AI-assisted vs. traditional expectations
- Build direct relationships with mid-tier creators
- Evaluate freelance talent on learning capacity, not just current skills
- Structure roles around judgment and oversight
If you’re working as a creative:
- Add at least one direct-to-fan revenue stream
- Invest systematically in three compounding skills
- Position as AI-enhanced, not AI-replaceable
- Move up the value chain toward strategy and direction
- Define a clear, specific niche