The creator economy is an industry that has outgrown its own measurement. The Creators Guild of America Foundation publishes data, reports, and longitudinal research on the state of the creator economy, work built to support policy, journalism, and academic understanding of a workforce the old statistics were never designed to count.
The Measurement Gap
The numbers describing the creator economy are mostly estimates, produced with inconsistent definitions, by parties with something to sell. Labor statistics undercount independent creative work because the categories predate it. The result is an industry making policy-sized claims on marketing-sized data, and a workforce that is economically real but statistically invisible.
What We Study
The research agenda follows the profession: who creators are, what they earn, how the work is structured, where the risks concentrate, and how the industry changes over time. Longitudinal work is the commitment that matters most, because a single snapshot flatters whoever commissioned it, and only repeated measurement shows what is happening.
Who It Serves
The work is built for the people who need reliable numbers: policymakers writing rules for a workforce they cannot currently see, journalists covering an industry beyond its press releases, academics building the field’s scholarship, and creators themselves, who deserve to know the real economics of their own profession.
A profession missing from the count.
The federal government’s next chance to count creators: the 2028 SOC revision
Source 4 · 2028 SOC Revision, BLS, modified September 30, 2026
Did you know?
The federal Standard Occupational Classification puts every U.S. worker into one of 867 detailed occupations. None of them is creator or influencer. The closest fit is Writers and Authors (27-3043), where BLS lists bloggers as a subtype. BLS wage data for that occupation excludes self-employed workers, yet 65% of Writers and Authors are self-employed.
The Method
Foundation research is published openly: methodology stated, definitions explicit, limitations acknowledged. Credibility is the entire value of institutional research, and it is earned by showing the work. Findings are released publicly as a matter of design, because research funded charitably belongs to the field.
Reports
Published reports and data will live on this page as they are released. To receive research releases as they publish, join the list, or reach the Foundation at hello@cgafoundation.org.
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The Foundation is funded by donations from creators, brands, and institutions who believe the creator economy deserves real institutional support. Contributions to the Creators Guild of America Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. EIN 41-5345101.
Footnotes
Our eligibility requirements are thoughtfully crafted by a diverse committee of creative professionals from all backgrounds, ensuring inclusivity and representation across the industry.
We proudly support members from all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. As a Guild, we stand with the LGBTQ+ community and are committed to fostering an environment of equality and acceptance for all.
As a non-profit organization, the dues paid by our members are reinvested into the Guild to fund events, legal costs, and continuous improvements, making sure to look after our volunteers and ensuring a vibrant future for all creators.
Creators Guild of America Foundation © 2026