The Filmmakers Alliance reports:
Hollywood in Decline: A Workforce Depleted by 42,000 Jobs in Just 2 Years
If you’re part of the entertainment sphere, you’ve likely encountered the mantra: “Survive âtil â25.” The sentiment speaks volumes about the dismal state of the industry. A recent piece from The Wall Street Journal rather dramatically refers to the production situation in Los Angeles as resembling a “disaster movie.”
The statistics tell a sobering tale. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 100,000 individuals were employed in Los Angeles County’s motion picture sector as of the end of 2024. Just two years prior, that number registered at a substantial 142,000.
This marks a staggering loss of 42,000 jobsâalmost a third of the entire workforceâin a mere two years. The downward trajectory shows little sign of abating.
The WSJ article illustrates a grim reality; it features stories of Oscar-winning sound mixers struggling to find work and animators who contributed to classics like Pocahontas now seeking alternative employment. Such talent must recalibrate their understanding of “Hollywood,” a place they once viewed as a beacon of opportunity.
FilmLA, the official film office overseeing the city and countyâs film activities, has reported a 22% drop in on-location production during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same timeframe the previous year.
The television sector has been particularly hard-hit. In 2021, the area logged a peak of 18,560 annual shooting days, which has since plummeted to a mere 7,716 by 2024, reflecting a staggering 58.4% decline over three years.
John Nolte from Breitbart News recently analyzed the underlying issues Hollywood faces:
What caused studios to cut back on production? The answer is straightforward. Despite the sheer volume of content they produced, few could attract the necessary streaming subscribers to justify the associated production costs. The downfall can largely be attributed to the quality of the content itself, which many criticize for being overly infused with political messagesââwokeâ themes, initiatives driven by social justice, and simplistic storytelling that fails to resonate with audiences.
Moreover, production costs remain prohibitively high due to union regulations, especially in comparison to more cost-effective locales like Georgia and various overseas markets. Coupled with the soaring costs of living in Los Angelesâfueled by high taxes, expensive housing, and energy pricesâit’s no surprise that the filming environment is becoming increasingly untenable. The city’s Democratic leadership has faced criticism, with arguments suggesting that uncontrolled immigration and lax regulatory policies have exacerbated housing shortages and suppressed wage growth.
In summary, the industry could benefit from aligning its outputs with audience expectations and focusing on craftsmanship over ideology. Yet, ironically, Hollywood seems incapable of pivoting away from its current trajectory towards content that genuinely resonates with viewers.
