A Creative PEC Discussion Paper
Zihan Wang, University of Sussex, Aniket Baksy, University of Melbourne, Hasan Bakhshi, Creative PEC, Josh Siepel, University of Sussex.
Abstract
Drawing on Adzuna UK job vacancy data comprising over 168 million job postings from 2016 to 2024, this study examines the evolving relationship between employer demand for creativity and AI skills in the UK labour market. Using the public release of ChatGPT 3.5 in November 2022 as a critical inflection point marking the widespread accessibility of Generative AI (GenAI), we adopt a pre- and post-event study design to empirically assess how this relationship has changed. Our findings reveal that labour markets with greater demand for AI skills also tend to exhibit greater demand for creativity.
Notably, the co-occurrence of these two skill sets in job postings has intensified following the launch of ChatGPT, particularly in high-skilled roles located within creative clusters, where concentrations of creative industries firms and workers compete and collaborate with each other. We conclude by highlighting the importance of multi-level policy interventions, while also cautioning against the risk of GenAI in further entrenching regional disparities in left-behind regions.
Citation
If the information in this report is used in any subsequent research and/or publications, please cite as follows: Wang, Z., Baksy, A., Bakhshi, H. and Siepel, J. (2025) Creativity and AI in the Post-ChatGPT Labour Market: Evidence from UK Job Vacancies. Creative PEC Discussion Papers Series No. 2025/2. Doi: 10.5281/zenodo.17589979
Creative PEC Discussion Paper Series
Creative PEC’s Discussion Papers are a collection of publications designed to share ideas and foster debate among academics, policymakers and practitioners on creative industries’ evidence and policies. The papers follow an editorial approval process aimed at preserving a pluralism of views whilst maintaining the high academic standards of Creative PEC.
All Discussion Papers are published subject to editorial discretion. Any views and interpretations expressed in Creative PEC Discussion Papers lie solely with the author(s) and should not be understood as being shared by Creative PEC, its staff (including the Editor of the Series), Newcastle University, the RSA, or the AHRC.
Image: Hanna Barakat & Cambridge Diversity Fund / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
