As the end of the year approaches, state officials are touting the impact outdoor recreation has on the Pennsylvania economy.
New figures from the DCNR show that outdoor activities account for 1.6 percent of the state’s GDP. It also employs around 150,000 full-time jobs.
However, the DNCR’s Director of Outdoor Recreation Nathan Reigner says more work needs to be done in order to properly pay these workers.
“While that’s a lot of jobs, and this is a lot of value being brought to Pennsylvania from outdoor recreation, there’s some work we need to do,” Reigner said. “Outdoor recreation jobs only earn about 57 percent of the compensation that’s earned by jobs in other sectors. That’s something we’re trying to work on in the Commonwealth.”
Officials also believe that outdoor recreation is helping boost the state’s tourism industry as well.
