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Economic trends in the screen sector
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Economic trends in the screen sector
Comprehensive economic data on the screen sector builds and strengthens our understanding of the economic contribution of the sector to New Zealand, and plays a valuable role informing policymakers and the sector.
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Economic trends in the screen sector: Firms & employment
Screen has been recognised as a growing sector with potential to contribute to New Zealand's GDP, employment and economic diversification. This report is a first step in our development of improved monitoring of the sector and its contribution to New Zealand.
'Economic trends in the screen sector: Firms and employment', completed in December 2021, covers firms and employment trends from 2000 to 2020.
Read the full report
Report highlights
Firm characteristics
- The number of firms has increased at an annual average rate of 8.3% between 2015 and 2020. The vast majority of these are sole traders or contractors.
- The New Zealand screen sector is structured increasingly around temporary working arrangements and project-based contracts.
Employment and Skills
- It is estimated that around 13,900 people are working in the screen sector; either self-employed or as waged and salaried employees.
- Most new employees in the screen sector are contractors or self-employed, working mainly in the post-production sub-sector in Wellington.

Image description
A chart showing the count of employees in the screen sector from 2000-2019. Employees are accounted for as either waged and salaried (in light blue) or self-employed (in dark blue), in four screen sub-sectors:
- Production
- Post-production
- Broadcasting
- Exhibition
Data for 2019 is provisional and may be revised.
The values for each sub-sector are as follows:
Production
2000: 3,465 self-employed and 1,089 earning wages or salaries.
2001: 4,101 self-employed and 1,134 earning wages or salaries.
2002: 3,222 self-employed and 1,044 earning wages or salaries.
2003: 3,906 self-employed and 1,020 earning wages or salaries.
2004: 4,032 self-employed and 1,056 earning wages or salaries.
2005: 4,452 self-employed and 1,035 earning wages or salaries.
2006: 4,434 self-employed and 1,113 earning wages or salaries.
2007: 4,581 self-employed and 1,146 earning wages or salaries.
2008: 4,917 self-employed and 1,161 earning wages or salaries.
2009: 4,131 self-employed and 1,116 earning wages or salaries.
2010: 4,038 self-employed and 993 earning wages or salaries.
2011: 4,326 self-employed and 867 earning wages or salaries.
2012: 4,878 self-employed and 783 earning wages or salaries.
2013: 4,629 self-employed and 729 earning wages or salaries.
2014: 3,894 self-employed and 705 earning wages or salaries.
2015: 4,122 self-employed and 699 earning wages or salaries.
2016: 4,398 self-employed and 705 earning wages or salaries.
2017: 4,722 self-employed and 792 earning wages or salaries.
2018: 4,623 self-employed and 840 earning wages or salaries.
2019: 5,004 self-employed and 804 earning wages or salaries.
Post-production
2000: 48 self-employed and 144 earning wages or salaries.
2001: 48 self-employed and 162 earning wages or salaries.
2002: 39 self-employed and 177 earning wages or salaries.
2003: 39 self-employed and 189 earning wages or salaries.
2004: 72 self-employed and 195 earning wages or salaries.
2005: 933 self-employed and 258 earning wages or salaries.
2006: 216 self-employed and 261 earning wages or salaries.
2007: 201 self-employed and 252 earning wages or salaries.
2008: 207 self-employed and 255 earning wages or salaries.
2009: 879 self-employed and 294 earning wages or salaries.
2010: 1,062 self-employed and 252 earning wages or salaries.
2011: 1,194 self-employed and 297 earning wages or salaries.
2012: 1,506 self-employed and 255 earning wages or salaries.
2013: 1,542 self-employed and 258 earning wages or salaries.
2014: 1,623 self-employed and 276 earning wages or salaries.
2015: 1,623 self-employed and 279 earning wages or salaries.
2016: 1,917 self-employed and 288 earning wages or salaries.
2017: 2,136 self-employed and 309 earning wages or salaries.
2018: 2,253 self-employed and 291 earning wages or salaries.
2019: 2,250 self-employed and 285 earning wages or salaries.
Broadcasting
2000: 165 self-employed and 2,412 earning wages or salaries.
2001: 267 self-employed and 2,538 earning wages or salaries.
2002: 243 self-employed and 2,511 earning wages or salaries.
2003: 291 self-employed and 2,538 earning wages or salaries.
2004: 309 self-employed and 2,577 earning wages or salaries.
2005: 297 self-employed and 2,865 earning wages or salaries.
2006: 342 self-employed and 2,964 earning wages or salaries.
2007: 468 self-employed and 2,976 earning wages or salaries.
2008: 402 self-employed and 3,162 earning wages or salaries.
2009: 408 self-employed and 3,135 earning wages or salaries.
2010: 447 self-employed and 3,147 earning wages or salaries.
2011: 474 self-employed and 3,186 earning wages or salaries.
2012: 501 self-employed and 3,123 earning wages or salaries.
2013: 498 self-employed and 3,201 earning wages or salaries.
2014: 426 self-employed and 3,189 earning wages or salaries.
2015: 507 self-employed and 3,186 earning wages or salaries.
2016: 537 self-employed and 3,177 earning wages or salaries.
2017: 522 self-employed and 3,081 earning wages or salaries.
2018: 537 self-employed and 2,973 earning wages or salaries.
2019: 522 self-employed and 2,886 earning wages or salaries.
Exhibition
2000: 42 self-employed and 1,488 earning wages or salaries.
2001: 36 self-employed and 1,485 earning wages or salaries.
2002: 57 self-employed and 1,728 earning wages or salaries.
2003: 75 self-employed and 1,830 earning wages or salaries.
2004: 48 self-employed and 1,875 earning wages or salaries.
2005: 63 self-employed and 1,896 earning wages or salaries.
2006: 60 self-employed and 1,923 earning wages or salaries.
2007: 45 self-employed and 2,049 earning wages or salaries.
2008: 60 self-employed and 2,076 earning wages or salaries.
2009: 63 self-employed and 2,121 earning wages or salaries.
2010: 51 self-employed and 2,100 earning wages or salaries.
2011: 63 self-employed and 2,037 earning wages or salaries.
2012: 60 self-employed and 2,052 earning wages or salaries.
2013: 45 self-employed and 1,971 earning wages or salaries.
2014: 60 self-employed and 1,860 earning wages or salaries.
2015: 54 self-employed and 1,770 earning wages or salaries.
2016: 60 self-employed and 1,866 earning wages or salaries.
2017: 51 self-employed and 1,953 earning wages or salaries.
2018: 60 self-employed and 1,893 earning wages or salaries.
2019: 60 self-employed and 1,953 earning wages or salaries