ORLANDO -- Four Florida locations, including the Orlando area, are ranked in the top 50 congressional districts nationwide for the number of arts-related jobs, according to a new study by the nonprofit Americans for the Arts.

With 13,369 people employed by 2,097 arts-related businesses, the congressional district made up of Orlando, Eustis and Ocala ranks No. 26 in the nation and No. 1 in Florida for the number of arts-related jobs, according to the study, entitled "Creative Industries 2005: The Congressional Report." The majority of those jobs are clustered in the Orlando area.

"This makes me feel very proud, and at the same time, it surprises me a little bit," says Robert Swedberg, general director of the Orlando Opera, which has as many as 250 employees when it's in performance mode. "It's kind of amazing. But it's important that the business community sees the significance of our programs and our contribution to the community."

Terry Olson, director of Orange County's office of arts and cultural affairs, agrees.

"It's a message we say a lot that arts are important in our community, especially for a career," he says. "The arts also help diversify our tourism economy. Cultural tourists are a more lucrative market, so in an economic sense, it is important to keep our cultural infrastructure up to date."

The other three congressional districts in Florida that made the national list include:

• Miami, No. 29, with 12,845 arts-related jobs at 2,600 arts-related businesses
• The St. Petersburg/Largo area, No. 43, with 10,655 arts-related jobs at 1,369 arts-related businesses. This congressional district experienced a whopping 27.6 percent increase in arts-related jobs between 2004 and 2005, according to the study.
• Fort Lauderdale, No. 44, with 10,412 arts-related jobs at 2,815 arts-related businesses

In addition, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and the Orlando/Eustis/Ocala area are the only congressional districts in Florida to make the top 50 in the nation for number of arts businesses.

Nationally, there are 578,000 arts-related businesses in the United States that employ about 3 million people, making up 4.4 percent of all businesses and 2.2 percent of all U.S. jobs. In fact, between 2004 and 2005, the 5.5 percent growth in the number of arts businesses outpaced total U.S. business growth, which was 3.8 percent.

"The arts have become an economic and employment powerhouse throughout the nation," says Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. "This study shows that -- in addition to the intrinsic value of the arts -- arts-centric businesses contribute significantly to local economies in all (435) U.S. congressional districts."

In addition, the study reveals:

• There are 49 districts with more than 10,000 arts-centric employees.
• More than half the congressional districts have at least 5,200 arts-centric employees.
• The 8th Congressional District in New York City, which encompasses Manhattan and Queens, has the most arts-related jobs -- 119,320.
• Even the congressional district with the least arts-related jobs has 1,554 people employed in the arts.

In the Orlando/Eustis/Ocala area, the arts business category with the highest number of jobs is performing arts, with 4,558 jobs. Performing arts includes music, theater, opera, performers, and services and facilities.

Locally, that's followed by the design and publishing category, 2,794 jobs; film, radio and TV, 2,763 jobs; and visual arts and photography, 2,700 jobs. The remaining categories are museums and collections, 391 jobs; and arts schools and services, 163 jobs.