OUTSIDE JOBS BIG PART OF SHOW BIZ STUDY SHOWS TRENDS OVER 12-YEAR PERIOD.

Byline: Greg Hernandez Staff Writer

More people work in entertainment industry jobs in California than previously counted but they have become more dependent on income from jobs outside the industry as work becomes more sporadic, according to a study released Wednesday by the Entertainment Economy Institute.

The study, which focused on a 12-year period between 1991 and 2002, found that the total number of entertainment industry jobs in California as of 2002 was 294,000, nearly double the figure that has been commonly believed. But that number is still down dramatically from the industry employment peak of 326,000 in 1999.

The increase in the number of jobs counted is due to a widening of the definition of businesses the constitute the entertainment industry. Added to the mix were several groups of employees not traditionally counted, including cable and other pay television services and firms that specialize in such things as equipment rental, catering and accounting.

``We haven't been able to find anyone anywhere who has done this kind of analysis of industry workers,'' said Kathleen Milnes, president and CEO of the Entertainment Economy Institute. ``When people say, 'I'm not working as much as I used to,' we have now proven that. The number of core workers has declined while the number of intermittent workers has increased. People are working less and there's more competition for jobs.''

In any given year, almost half of entertainment workers relied on nonentertainment jobs for their primary income. That trend is growing and the intermittent category of worker is now the largest share of the work force. The study also states that the industry is actually made up of mostly small firms that employ less than 20 employees rather than the major movie studios that must people associate it with.

Milnes said the studies will form a new basis for leaders in industry and government to set public policy on employment, taxes and economic development programs for the industry in the future.

``I think it's going to be eye-opening for the government and probably eye-opening for the general community,'' said Jack Kyser, chief economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. ``It gives you a better sense of who the people are who work in the industry. What you see on 'Entertainment Tonight' and 'Access Hollywood' gives a very slanted view of what goes on in the industry.''

Overall, employment in the entertainment industry grew faster than private employment in the state. From 1991 through 2002, entertainment industry employment increased by about 29 percent, compared with 17 percent for other private employment in California.

The institute's report, ``California Entertainment Workforce: Employment and Earnings Analysis, 1991-2002,'' is the first in a series of reports seeking to redefine how Hollywood work force, employment and production is measured.

Sources for the study include the California Employment Development Department, the industry directory ``LA 411'' and confidential industry sources. Funding for the initial research came from a $742,000 grant from the governor's discretionary Workforce Investment Act funds.

Greg Hernandez, [phone]

greg.hernandez(at)dailynews.com