South By North Strategies, Ltd.

A recent analysis commissioned by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources found that the state’s creative industries ( arts, information/ entertainment/new media, and design)  contribute some $19.5 billion to state’s economy — an amount  equal to five percent of North Carolina’s gross domestic product.

Additionally, the study, which was prepared by the policy research division of the N.C. Department of Commerce, discovered that some 100 creative industries accounted for some 293,000 jobs and was responsible for over $10 billion in compensation (4.9 percent of the state’s total).