It might be colder than your ex’s glare right now, but spring is just around the corner. That means it’s time for outdoorsy fun! But while we’d love to chat about – and mostly, go do – fun things on the amazing lakes, mountains, and such around the state, we’re here to talk about Paychecks. Fortunately, this is one moment where the two overlap, so let’s take a look at what the outdoors does for Paychecks in our beautiful outdoorsy state!
Here are Five Fast Facts on the outdoors industry in Michigan:
- 💪 Strong And Growing - Michigan’s outdoors industry brought in almost $14 billion in economic activity in 2023, an 8% increase over 2022. It seems there’s been a lot of pent-up demand for going out and doing stuff since the pandemic ended. That’s cool, we’re here for it!
- 🚤 Highlights - All that outdoorsy goodness supports over 118,000 jobs, earning a combined $6.4 billion in wages around the state! The biggest piece of that was boating and fishing, which generated $1.2 billion all by itself. Which makes sense, of course, given that this is the Great Lakes State.
- 👀 Comparison Shopping - Even with all this good growth, Michigan still has plenty of room to do even better! Believe it or not, it’s only average when compared to other states with a lot of outdoor recreation activities. Nationally, there are around 5 million jobs contributing $1.2 trillion to the economy!
- ⛰️🌲 Go Exploring - One thing that’ll help is the EXPLORE Act, a bill recently signed into law that provides grants for park improvements, a better process for streamlining permitting outdoor guides, increasing youth and veterans outdoor programs, and much more.
- 👋 Come On Down (Or Up) - Things are looking so good that many business and political leaders are leaning into the outdoors as a way to attract people to the state, especially with so many now doing the post-pandemic get-out-and-go-do-it thing. And to that we say: come on down! Er, up. Whatever, you get the point.
🔥Bottom line: While this means great Paychecks now, it also suggests many more even better Paychecks in the future, and that’s always something we love to hear about! And we get to enjoy the Great Outdoors at the same time. What could be better?
What’s your favorite outdoor activity?
Let us know by connecting with us on Facebook and Instagram! Also, remember to share this newsletter with your friends & coworkers!
BTW, If you’ve read this far and haven’t yet signed up for the weekly Paycheckology newsletter, CLICK HERE!
