Writers Guild of America Reports Significant Job Losses as TV Writing Opportunities Decline
The past few years have been particularly challenging for the community of television writers, as highlighted in a recent report by the Writers Guild of America (WGA). On Friday, the WGA revealed alarming statistics indicating a staggering 42% decrease in television writing jobs for the upcoming 2023-2024 season. According to their findings, the total number of available writing positions for this season stands at just 1,319, a significant drop from the 1,819 writing roles that were available during the previous season of 2022-2023.
This sharp decline follows months of intense negotiations between the WGA and major studios for a new contract. The guild has attributed part of the job losses to the protracted nature of these negotiations, which have increasingly strained writer-studio relationships. Additionally, the report points to a broader trend where original programming on cable networks has seen a noticeable decline, compounded by streaming services scaling back their productions as they face pressure to deliver quicker profits to Wall Street investors.
As writers grapple with these changes, the industry has also witnessed a series of cancellations and series finales. The WGA's data reveals that there were approximately 37% fewer episodic television series covered by the guild airing in the current season compared to the last.
The most pronounced losses have been among showrunners and co-executive producers, with a drastic reduction of 642 positions over the past year. In addition, the number of staff writers, story editors, and executive story editors has dropped by 378 positions, while mid-level rolesincluding co-producers and supervising producershave seen a decline of 299 jobs. This downward trend has been particularly stark when comparing the current numbers to the 2018-2019 season, which had 1,508 showrunners and co-exec producers, compared to just 952 in the most recent season.
Screenwriting roles have also been affected, albeit to a somewhat lesser extent. A report noted that screenwriter earnings have fallen by 6% during the first three quarters of 2024, alongside a 15% drop in the number of active screenwriters.
In an email to its members, the WGA expressed deep concern over the current state of writing careers, stating, Writing careers have always been difficult to access and sustain, but the contraction has made it especially challenging. We are all subject to the decisions of the companies that control this industry, who have pulled back spending on content based on the demands of Wall Street. Compounding that, the current administration seems intent on causing economic chaos and undermining our democracy. This email was distributed to members by both the WGA West board of directors and the WGA East council.
The Writers Guild of America, which represents more than 10,000 writers, had previously gone on strike between May 2 and September 27, 2023. This strike marked the second longest in the guilds history, lasting 148 daystying with the strike in 1960but still falling short of the 153 days seen during the 1988 strike. Notably, this strike coincided with the SAG-AFTRA strike, which occurred from July 14 to November 9, 2023, further highlighting the tumultuous period for creative professionals in the entertainment industry.
