The Writers Guild of America has released new figures showing a sharp downturn in television writing jobs across the 2023–24 season. According to the report, total employment dropped by 42 percent compared to the previous cycle, marking a loss of 1,319 positions.
The data reflects a broad contraction that affected writers at every level of seniority. Co-executive producers and higher-tier roles declined by 640 jobs, or 40 percent. Mid-level positions, including co-producers and supervising producers, were down 299 jobs, a 42 percent reduction. Lower-level jobs such as staff writers and story editors fell by 378, amounting to a 46 percent cut.
Across all categories, the WGA counted 1,819 television writing jobs in the 2023–24 season. This includes 446 lower-level positions, 421 mid-level, and 952 at the upper level.
The guild cited multiple factors behind the declines, including a continued decrease in traditional pay TV subscriptions, fewer streaming series commissioned as studios adjust to pressure from investors, and delays caused by last year’s labor stoppages. The 2023 writers’ strike lasted from May through late September, while actors represented by SAG-AFTRA joined the picket lines from July to November. Both strikes disrupted production schedules and led to cancellations or shorter seasons across multiple platforms.
The number of WGA-covered episodic series also dropped. Just 223 series aired during the 2023–24 season, down from 362 the year before—a 37 percent drop. Before the pandemic, the number of covered series averaged around 345 per season.
Screenwriting for film also showed signs of strain. The guild reported that for the first three quarters of 2024, the number of screenwriters working fell by 15 percent compared to 2022. Earnings for those writers were down 6 percent over the same period. Those figures represent a gain from 2023 but remain below earlier levels.
The WGA’s employment update was shared in a letter to members. Leadership acknowledged the long-standing difficulty of maintaining a writing career and described the current downturn as especially severe. “We are all subject to the decisions of the companies that control this industry, who have pulled back spending on content based on the demands of Wall Street,” the message stated. It also expressed concern over national economic instability, referring to recent federal trade policy shifts and political turbulence.
Production in Los Angeles has also been affected by location shifts, with some studios moving projects abroad to take advantage of tax incentives. Environmental issues, including wildfires, have also disrupted filming in the region.
Industry-wide data reflects similar trends. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the motion picture and sound recording sectors lost 1,200 jobs in March 2025, with total employment at 409,000. Broadcast and content platforms cut 800 positions, while publishing lost 1,500 jobs that month.
While the WGA secured significant gains in its 2023 contract, including protections related to artificial intelligence and bonuses tied to viewership, the real-world impact of those terms remains uncertain. A March update listed five shows—Griselda, Ted, Bridgerton: Season 3, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Fallout—as having received performance-based bonuses. Details on how widely these bonuses have been distributed are not yet available.
The guild’s full employment numbers for the 2024 calendar year will be included in its annual summer report. For now, preliminary tracking shows 380 staff writer, story editor, and executive story editor jobs for the upcoming season—still lower than the already reduced total from 2023–24.
