Entrepreneurial, precarious or leaving altogether? Work trajectories in the creative industries in the Netherlands

This article seeks to identify variety in work trajectories in the cultural and creative industries (CCI) and the extent to which structural inequalities can be observed in who ends up in which trajectory. The omnipresent inequalities in the sector suggest that some might be in a better position to escape precarious trajectories than others. Multichannel sequence analysis is used to map the work trajectories of employees, employers and self-employed workers in the CCI in the Netherlands over 10 years. The results show that more than half of them leave the sector during the observation window. Contrary to what is often assumed, characteristics of traditional careers can be observed alongside flexible ones. Work trajectories characterised by flexible labour market positions are also the most precarious in terms of income, but make it more likely that workers stay. However, staying in the sector is less achievable for marginalised groups.