London, Oct 19 (AFP/APP):Britain’s music industry lost more than one third of its jobs owing to the pandemic, an industry body revealed Tuesday, as it urged greater government support to aid the recovery.
Employment across the sector slumped 35 percent annually to 128,000 jobs in 2020, UK Music said in a report.
“The music creators and live music sectors experienced the greatest decline,” the report added.
“The majority of those working in the industry are self-employed, and they have been hit especially hard by Covid-19.”
The UK music industry’s contribution to the economy slumped 46 percent to £3.1 billion between 2019 and last year, the report noted.
“The past 18 months have been exceptionally challenging for the UK music industry, with billions wiped off the value of the sector — but we are determined to look to the future and focus on recovery,” said the trade body’s chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin.
“With the right support, the UK music industry can help drive the post-pandemic recovery,” he added.
The famous Glastonbury Festival was among the hundreds of live music events cancelled during Britain’s pandemic lockdowns.
It wasn’t until August this year that the UK launched an insurance scheme to cover music festivals and other live events, in a package worth £750 million.
The UK music industry has additionally been hit in recent times by post-Brexit curbs on touring in the European Union.
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