Creative economy as an alternative to the reduction of automotive industry employment in Taubaté/SP [Economia criativa como alternativa a redução do emprego da indústria automobilística em Taubaté/SP]

Abstract

The Taubaté city has a strong expertise in industry, especially the automobile industry, which accounted for 44.91% of the local economy in 2012, according to data from the Seade Foundation in 2012. This sectoral dependence implies fluctuations in employment in periods of retraction of the vehicles market, as occurred after 2013. However, the municipality has potential for expansion of activities linked to the chains of creative economy, with the presence of significant cultural diversity pertinent to the material and immaterial patrimony. The main objective of this article is to verify the potential of activities related to the creative economy as an alternative in the generation of labor occupations in the face of the retraction of employment in the traditional productive sectors, such as the automobile industry. The research is characterized as exploratory, with a qualitative approach, based on documentary data collection. The representativeness of the jobs and income of the creative economy sector in the municipality and greater employment growth in this sector were verified in relation to the jobs of the traditional sectors. It is concluded that the creative economy represents in Taubaté a productive chain that contributes to the generation of employment and income and that can be potentialized as a local development strategy. © 2018, Universidade de Taubate. All rights reserved.