New data from the Writers Guild of America West shows that the number of TV and film writers earning any income has fallen sharply over the past decade, with the contraction accelerating since the 2023 strikes. The guild's annual financial report attributes the decline to studios and streamers pulling back on scripted programming after years of overspending, meaning fewer writers are finding paid work even as the overall industry adjusts to a post-streaming-boom reality.

Around 5,072 writers reported earnings in 2025, down 27% from nearly 7,000 at the 2022 peak, with employment falling a further 10.2% between 2024 and 2025 alone. Despite this, total earnings held relatively steady at $1.7 billion, a marginal 1.3% dip, suggesting work is being concentrated among fewer, more experienced writers, though earnings remain about 25% below the 2022 peak. Television has been hit hardest, with jobs down over 33% since 2022 compared with 14% in film, while feature writers actually earned more in 2025 ($521 million, up 7.2%) than at any point in the past five years; residuals fell 4.9% year-on-year, with streaming residuals dipping for the first time ever.