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Study: Performing Arts Associated With Job Growth

Matthew Sedlar on December 28, 2015
Davies Symphony Hall, home of the San Francisco Symphony.
Davies Symphony Hall, home of the San Francisco Symphony.

The presence of a professional symphony, opera, or ballet/dance organization in a metropolitan area contributed to increased employment in those cities between 2000 to 2010, according to a study published in Economic Development Quarterly. The study associated the presence of performing arts organizations with an increase in “knowledge-class” jobs, or jobs in the knowledge or creative class. Examples of "knowledge-class" jobs include software engineers, physicians, pharmacists, architects, engineers, scientists, public accountants, lawyers, and academics, according to Wikipedia.

According to The Atlantic’s blog CityLab, “cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, and San Francisco each generated over $1 billion” in income from “knowledge-class” jobs.

Read more about the study here.