The arts are part of a well-diversified 21st-century economy. Along with nonprofit arts organizations, creative enterprises make significant contributions to state and local economies, generating employment and tax revenues and providing goods and services sought by the public. The value of arts and cultural production in America in 2017 was $877.8 billion, amounting to 4.5% of gross domestic product. The arts contribute more to the national economy than do the construction, transportation, utilities, mining and agriculture (including forestry, fishing and hunting) industries. As an industry, arts and culture is expanding, having grown 69.5% in its contribution to GDP between 1998 and 2016. In addition, the U.S. exports more arts and cultural products and services than it imports—yielding a trade surplus of $29.7 billion—benefiting creative industries as well as the overall economy.
A National Summary Report (National Endowment for the Arts)
The Arts and Economic Growth (NEA)