Marking the fourth annual International Creator Day, the American Influencer Council (AIC) has released a new trend report arguing that the rapid rise of the creator economy has not been matched by labor protections, policy recognition, or institutional support for professional creators.
Titled “Built Not Posted: Seen Online, Unseen in Policy: The Creator Labor Gap,” the report says millions of creators are generating economic value, shaping culture, and building businesses online, yet many remain excluded from traditional labor frameworks.
According to figures cited in the report, the United States has an estimated 39 million creators, but only around 1.5 million are full-time, meaning just 3.9% are able to sustain themselves entirely through creator work.
The AIC said this reflects a widening gap between the visibility of creators online and the lack of recognition they receive as workers or small business owners.
To coincide with the report, the council also announced the launch of its Academic Advisory Circle, a network of eight scholars who will work with creator-economy leaders to study issues affecting digital professionals.
Qianna Smith Bruneteau, founder and executive director of the AIC, said creators are building full-time businesses while facing occupational challenges that require evidence-based solutions.
She said creators need better access to research and policy discussions around issues such as algorithmic accountability, AI-generated content disclosure, platform labor classification, and data ethics.
Brooke Erin Duffy, associate professor at Cornell University and advisor to the AIC board, said the creator economy has expanded significantly over the past decade, but labor protections for creators and other platform-dependent workers remain limited.
The report frames creators as a growing workforce that often operates without benefits, income stability, bargaining power, or clear regulatory safeguards.
International Creator Day, observed annually by the AIC, aims to spotlight the economic and cultural role of creators while pushing for better standards across the industry.
As AI tools, shifting algorithms, and platform dependency reshape digital work, the report argues that creators should increasingly be treated not simply as influencers, but as entrepreneurs and workers central to the modern economy.
