By Monica Chen

mchen@heraldsun.com; 419-6636

DURHAM -- The creative industry of North Carolina produces nearly $41.4 billion of goods and services and employs 293,000 people, or 5.5 percent of the state's total employment.

Not to be confused with the "Creative Class," the study by the policy and research branch of the N.C. Department of Commerce focused solely on cultural subcategories in arts, entertainment and new media, and design.

The study showed that the economic contributions of the creative industry are mostly through the 164,325 people directly employed in the industry, who add $11.1 billion of value to the economy and are compensated $6.1 billion.

The study also notes that creative professionals are associated with the amount that visitors will spend and also are strongly associated with rising household incomes.

Reyn Bowman and Shelly Green, the departing and the new presidents of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, respectively, both noted that the study, which was commissioned by the N.C. Arts Council, used a narrow definition of the word "creative."

"The study used a very restricted use of the term 'creative' but it does illustrate the value of the state's cultural infrastructure," Bowman said in an e-mail. "In Durham, to our vitality as a community, this infrastructure is no less significant than other, more traditional infrastructure like roadways and large developments. We can't take it for granted."

The study used employment figures from the N.C. Employment Security Commission and occupational data from the Internal Revenue Service.

In estimating the economic contribution of the industry, the study measured the trading patterns along with the income and spending patterns of households and took into account direct and indirect effects and induced -- which is the changes in household purchasing based on compensation levels in those industries.

Green noted that the "creative industry" is a part of the "creative class," which takes into account all knowledge workers.

The state-commissioned study of the creative industry did not have local figures, but the CVB is working with the Durham Arts Council on a Creative Vitality Index to measure the relative health of the city's arts-related creative sectors, taking into account both for profit and nonprofit ventures.

Green said they expect to have results from the study in the spring.