Friday, February 24, 2006

High costs threaten NYC's creative status:

More than 40% of the city’s creative workers made less than $35,000 last year and half have little or no personal savings, according to the poll of 1,200 creative workers. Thirty-nine percent experienced a significant gap in health insurance coverage in the last year and 75% avoided seeking medical care when they were uninsured.

Nearly 10% of the country’s creative sector workers live in New York, but advocates at the Freelancers Union warn that the city’s dominance may be threatened by the high costs. Artists may be forced to leave the city unless a better social net is created.