Nearly half of TV workforce is out of work, finds Bectu

The Bectu research is based on survey replies from more than 3,600 people working in TV drama, unscripted and factual television, broadcasting, and commercials. 

Among its most stark findings was the revelation that almost half of the TV workforce was out of work at the time of the report in March 2025. Specifically, this amounted to 45% of TV drama workers, 46% of the unscripted sector’s staff, and 45% of professionals in commercials. 

The research traces the problems to the reduction in commissioned content that followed the 2023 US actors and writers’ strikes. Recovery has been slow, with only one in five workers reporting that job availability has returned to pre-strike conditions, while 68% of TV workers say they are struggling to make ends meet. 

Bectu warns that the crisis is hitting under-represented groups hardest. In total, 42% of working-class respondents are currently out of work, whereas only 37% from non-working-class backgrounds are out of work. Disabled workers (44%) are more likely to be unemployed than non-disabled colleagues (39%). Workers from Global Majority backgrounds reported significantly higher rates of unemployment than their white counterparts. Additionally, nearly 8 in 10 (78%) say they found their last job through personal contacts, reinforcing barriers to entry and accountability. 

Almost 9 in 10 (87%) TV workers describe their work as insecure, 72% say it has harmed personal relationships, and only 18% feel confident about their future in the industry. A third (33%) say they expect to leave the industry within five years. 

Philippa Childs, Head of Bectu, said: “These findings lay bare the devastating impact of recent industry challenges compounded by years of insecure employment practices and poor conditions across much of the sector. 

“On top of this, many TV workers face entrenched discrimination, bullying, and harassment, propped up by huge power imbalances and a lack of independent and robust reporting mechanisms. 

Bectu has called for intervention from both industry leaders and government officials to address job stability, enhance protections for freelance workers, and combat workplace harassment.  

The union also advocates for sustained funding of the Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority (CIISA), noting that several major industry companies have not yet committed to supporting the oversight organisation financially. 

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