Our new data brief highlights the growing importance of the design sector to New York City’s economy, and details that a disproportionate share of the growth in the sector is now occurring in Brooklyn. It shows that employment at architecture and design companies in Brooklyn increased by 86 percent between 2010 and 2014, significantly outpacing the growth citywide (23 percent) and in Manhattan (19 percent).
Five years ago, the Center for an Urban Future published a report documenting the economic importance of the design sector to New York City’s economy. This data brief, published as the city’s fourth annual multi-disciplinary design week is getting underway at venues across the five boroughs, shows that the growth of the city’s design industries has only accelerated in recent years and that the fastest growth is now occurring in Brooklyn.
Between 2010 and 2014, the city added more than 5,000 jobs in architecture and design, a 23 percent increase. New York City was home to 27,037 jobs in architecture and design in 2014. This includes jobs in architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, industrial design, graphic design and other specialized design (including fashion, costume, and jewelry design).