1.4 Employment and economic contribution
Overview of the screen sector in Canada
Exhibit 1-6 Number of jobs (i.e. person-count) generated by film and television production in Canada
| 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct | 36,180 | 47,340 | 48,780 | 40,140 | 37,620 |
| Spin-off | 21,950 | 27,440 | 27,330 | 21,950 | 20,380 |
| Total | 58,130 | 74,780 | 76,110 | 62,090 | 58,000 |
Source:
Estimates based on Nordicity research and data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies, unions and guilds, and Statistics Canada.
Note:
See Notes on methodology for a description of the job-estimation methodology.
Number of jobs (i.e. person-count) generated by film and television production in Canada, annual growth 2024/25
| 2023/24 ($) Total | Growth 2024/25 | Growth (%) 2024/25 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign location and service (FLS) | 93,630 | 4,290 | 4.6 |
| Canadian television | 62,090 | -4,090 | -6.6 |
| Canadian theatrical feature film | 9,190 | -770 | -8.4 |
| Broadcaster in-house | 17,020 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 181,930 | -570 | -0.3 |
Source:
Estimates based on Nordicity research and data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies, unions and guilds, and Statistics Canada.
Note:
See Notes on methodology for a description of the job-estimation methodology.
Exhibit 1-7 Labour income impact of film and television production in Canada ($ millions)
| Direct | Spin-off | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian television production | 1,836 | 1,193 | 3,029 |
| Canadian theatrical feature film production | 271 | 177 | 448 |
| Canadian content production | 2,107 | 1,370 | 3,477 |
| FLS production | 2,771 | 1,802 | 4,573 |
| Broadcaster in-house production | 664 | 432 | 1,096 |
| Total | 5,542 | 3,604 | 9,146 |
Source:
Estimates based on Nordicity research and data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies, unions and guilds, and Statistics Canada.
Note:
See Notes on methodology for a description of labour income methodology.
Exhibit 1-8 GDP impact of film and television production in Canada ($ millions)
| Direct | Spin-off | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian television production | 1,900 | 1,801 | 3,701 |
| Canadian theatrical feature film production | 280 | 262 | 542 |
| Canadian content production | 2,180 | 2,063 | 4,243 |
| FLS production | 2,868 | 2,715 | 5,583 |
| Broadcaster in-house production | 688 | 690 | 1,378 |
| Total | 5,736 | 5,468 | 11,204 |
Source:
Estimates based on Nordicity research and data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies, unions and guilds, and Statistics Canada.
Note:
See Notes on methodology for a description of GDP methodology.
Screen sector value chain segments
While film and television production is the largest source of economic impact within the screen sector value chain (Exhibit 1-9), the other value chain industries also generate significant economic impacts.
• The distribution industry in Canada generated employment for 5,950 people, as well as $362 million in labour income and $630 million in GDP in 2023.
• The exhibition industry generated employment for 19,720 people, as well as $618 million in labour income and $1.16 billion in GDP in 2024.
• The television-broadcasting industry generated employment for 17,450, as well as $1.42 billion in labour income and $2.11 billion in GDP in 2024.
• The broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU) industry generated employment for 39,940 people, as well as $2.96 billion in labour income and more than $4.30 billion in GDP in 2024.
Combining estimates of the economic impact from the most recent year of published data indicates that the screen sector value chain in Canada generated an estimated 264,420 jobs, $15.00 billion in labour income and $19.91 billion in GDP for the Canadian economy (both direct and spin-off impacts).
Exhibit 1-9 Economic impact of selected segments in the screen sector value chain
| Direct | Spin-off | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film and TV production (2024/25) | 115,630 | 65,730 | 181,360 |
| Distribution (2023) | 870 | 5,080 | 5,950 |
| Exhibition (2024) | 10,320 | 9,400 | 19,720 |
| Broadcasting* (2024) | 4,630 | 12,820 | 17,450 |
| Broadcasting distribution (2024) | 20,050 | 19,890 | 39,940 |
| Total | 151,500 | 112,920 | 264,420 |
Source:
Estimates based on Nordicity research and data collected from CAVCO, CRTC, CBC/Radio-Canada, the Association of Provincial Television and Film Agencies, unions and guilds, and Statistics Canada.
Note:
See Notes on methodology for a description of the methodology.
* Excludes in-house production, which is included in Film and TV production