The Outdoor Industry Association recently released an Outdoor Recreation Economy Report, which indicates that this sector creates more jobs than construction and computer technology and generates $117 billion more in annual consumer spending than pharmaceuticals and fuel. According to the report, outdoor recreation:
- Generates $887 billion in consumer spending annually
- Sustains 7.6 million jobs
- Generates $65.3 billion in federal and $59.2 billion in state and local tax revenue each year
More specifically, the report shows that wildlife watching generates $30.2 billion annually in retail spending and sustains 235,825 jobs, hunting generates $27.3 billion annually and sustains 194,973 jobs, and fishing generates $35.7 billion annually, supporting 287,554 jobs.