TV & Film Scribes Aren’t Spinning A Tale This Time: Jobs Really Have Plummeted In The Last Decade
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.
- WGA West data shows 27% fewer writers earned income in 2025 than in 2022.
- TV jobs down over 33% since 2022; film jobs down 14%.
- Total writer earnings roughly flat despite fewer people working.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Writers face genuine economic hardship as 27% have lost income-earning opportunities, with jobs for mid-level writers and newcomers becoming particularly scarce as work concentrates among veterans. The post-strike acceleration suggests studios are hollowing out the workforce rather than honouring agreements in spirit, whilst the decline in residuals—including a first-ever drop in streaming residuals—erodes the safety net these workers depend on during inevitable downturns. This represents real precarity for people who have invested careers in the craft.
The case against
The streaming sector created an unsustainably inflated production bubble that proved economically unviable, making a market correction both inevitable and necessary for long-term industry viability. Whilst job losses are genuine, the stable aggregate earnings and rising compensation for film writers suggest the remaining writers command stronger pay for their work, indicating the market remains robust for quality scripted content. A contraction from artificial boom levels back to sustainable equilibrium is painful for individuals but economically rational and ultimately healthier for the industry.