The number of artists (136,600) is slightly higher than the labour force in automotive manufacturing (133,000) and slightly lower than the labour force in the utilities sector (149,900) and telecommunications (158,300). [...] Higher growth in artists than the overall labour force The Labour Force Survey provides historical estimates of the number of artists and cultural workers. [...] Previous reports calculated the total number of artists as those in the experienced labour force plus those not in the labour force at the time of the survey but who had worked since January of the previous year. [...] These nine occupation groups have been confirmed as priority occupations for the Statistical Insights on the Arts series during discussions between Hill Strategies Research, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Department of Canadian Heritage.5 As noted in a 1999 research paper from the Canada Council for the Arts (Artists in the Labour Force), the nine occupations we [...] A technical report from Hill Strategies Research provides significant details about the National Household Survey and the Labour Force Survey as sources of data regarding the situation of artists in Canada.7 The main findings of the technical report follow: 4 For more information about labour force measurements in the National Household Survey, visit enm/2011/ref/gu