The sex industry is a big, amorphous, largely unregulated (though in some instances, strangely and/or over-regulated) industry. It includes both legal and illegal jobs and in the United States is often identified as a multi-billion dollar a year business. Exact figures vary widely and are hard to confirm, as most businesses within the industry are not publicly traded, while some other businesses may be largely cash based (strip clubs, escort agencies, independent workers). It’s often reported that the sex industry in the US brings in more money than Hollywood – but again, this is unconfirmed.

The phrase “sex worker” is generally used to refer to workers who may be self-employed but are not management level workers. So: sex workers work in the sex industry, but not all people who work in the sex industry (like madams, porn producers, strip club bouncers) are sex workers.

This, of course, is up for debate and further refinement.

Do you think there’s a distinction between sex workers and people who work in the sex industry?