|
Design Defies Economic Downturn
Listed under: News
Published: Tuesday, April 20, 2010
The UK's design industry has continued to show signs of growth despite the economic difficulties of the past 12 months, seeing the sector expand by as much as 29% over the past five years, according to a recent report from the Design Council.
The study, which shows that there are currently 232,000 designers in the UK alone, attributes the growth of the category to the rising number of freelancers entering the market over the past few years, with recent statistics revealing a 39% rise in figures since 2005.
White men in their 30s appear to account for the largest proportion of the sector – something the Design Council hopes will encourage more young people and women to develop careers in this area.
However, despite a ten percent growth in the number of people taking design-related degrees over the past seven years, the findings also reveal that businesses within the sector are still reluctant to recruit.
Commenting on the findings, David Keater, chief executive of the Design Council, says, “There is great evidence of our top design talent rolling up their sleeves in education. Above all, the industry represents a confident face to business and the Government as the engine of innovation, enterprise and economic growth.”
The study, which shows that there are currently 232,000 designers in the UK alone, attributes the growth of the category to the rising number of freelancers entering the market over the past few years, with recent statistics revealing a 39% rise in figures since 2005.
White men in their 30s appear to account for the largest proportion of the sector – something the Design Council hopes will encourage more young people and women to develop careers in this area.
However, despite a ten percent growth in the number of people taking design-related degrees over the past seven years, the findings also reveal that businesses within the sector are still reluctant to recruit.
Commenting on the findings, David Keater, chief executive of the Design Council, says, “There is great evidence of our top design talent rolling up their sleeves in education. Above all, the industry represents a confident face to business and the Government as the engine of innovation, enterprise and economic growth.”
