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Working the slopes

December 2014

As the temperature drops, thoughts turn to snow and, for many people, to winter sports. Skiing facilities hire more workers to accommodate the influx of customers during the busy ski and snowboard season, only to shed them as winter weather fades. So how much does employment fluctuate at skiing facilities throughout the year?

The chart shows total private employment at skiing facilities in the United States in 2013 by month. As you might expect, employment at ski facilities was highest when temperatures were often lowest. As spring set in, that number fell until it hit a low in May of around 12,000 jobs. Employment stayed low through the summer and early fall, then began to rise with the approach of winter.

Colorado, California, and Utah had the most jobs; combined, these states accounted for about 44 percent of skiing facility private employment in 2013. No data were available for some states, including Texas and Florida.

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW). The QCEW measures employment and wages reported by employers and covers 97 percent of all U.S. jobs.