Capital losing allure for creatives

The days when London agencies could attract the best talent by waving wads of cash in their faces appear to be coming to an end, with the gap between the capital and UK-wide agency salaries closing by 6% in the last 12 months alone.
According to the annual creative industry report carried out by online network Creativepool, more creatives are working out of larger cities outside London – such as Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and Brighton – as the digital economy means people no longer have to traipse to the capital.
And it seems those working in adland are also an endangered species; digital and web jobs have now overtaken over advertising as the largest creative sector in the industry, claiming 22% of the workforce.
Some things never change, however: 26- to 35-year-olds continue to lead the sector, with over 50% of roles; male-domination is also rife, with just 41% females within the industry, while freelancers make up almost a third of all working professionals.
Creativepool founder Michael Tomes said: “Salaries in the capital have always been known to be higher but with the London housing crisis, we have seen many new agencies and studios appearing in other cities. A big part of this is due to the ‘digital switchover’, the digital economy facilitates people working away from the expense of the capital.”
He added: “Optimism is the word that can be used to describe the creative industry for 2015 as 60% of those within the sector think their pay will increase. We believe the report shows the industry’s confidence as a whole.”