Skiing Facilities NAICS 713920

Aug 26, 2025 - Wages Dip, Employment Up

• Labor costs for the skiing facilities industry fell slightly in June 2025, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Average wages for the industry reached $27.66 an hour in June 2025, which was 1.2% lower than the previous year. In the past three years, wages have grown by 21.3% for the industry, higher than the overall private wage growth of 13.4%. Skiing facility industry employment grew 3.1% in June 2025 compared to a year ago, per the BLS. In the last decade, industry employment grew 45.1%, much faster than the 13.2% growth in overall private employment.
• Indicators measuring the collective mood of US consumers show mixed signals, with consumer confidence levels slightly up and consumer sentiment falling. Consumer confidence levels, an indicator of discretionary expenditures, improved in July 2025, month over month, rising by 2 points, according to the Consumer Confidence Index. Consumer confidence levels have stabilized since May but remain lower than last year’s, according to The Conference Board, which publishes the monthly index. July’s gain can be attributed to consumers over 35 years old and shared across all income groups, except the lowest income group earning below $15K. In addition, the consumer sentiment index from the University of Michigan dropped in August 2025 for the first time in four months. The index fell to 58.6 in preliminary August data from 61.7 in July. Year-ahead inflation expectation results were higher monthly, as consumers convey lingering anxiety about prices amid tariff impacts. The index serves as a predictor of consumer spending as it indicates consumers’ perception of their financial prospects and the broader economy.

• The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) announced visitation of nearly 61.5 million skier visits for the 2024-25 season, a 1.7% increase over the previous season and the second-highest visitation on record. The numbers are preliminary, as several ski areas have extended their seasons. Per the NSAA announcement, “Several years ago, we set an ambitious goal of reaching a three-year rolling average of 60 million skier visits. We’ve now surpassed that benchmark for four consecutive seasons. While weather will always be unpredictable, this year was less volatile overall, and nearly every region saw solid snowfall.” The 2024-25 visitation figure was about 6% lower than the record-setting season of 2022-23. One of the NSAA’s six regions posted record skier visits during the season: the Pacific Northwest region (4.7 million). In addition, the number of operating ski areas grew to 492 from the previous season’s 484.
• Bookings at Western mountain destinations rebounded in July 2025, compared to a year ago, following a rate cut, according to the latest Market Briefing by Inntopia’s DestiMetrics, as reported in Ski Area Management. July occupancy fell 0.8% year over year, which was an improvement compared to the 4.2% decline posted as of June 30. The average daily rate was up 1.8%. International visitation has remained weak, attributed in part to financial and political turbulence. Bookings from Canada eased slightly, while bookings from Mexico were up 6.7%. Occupancy for the summer was up 1% due to the lower rates, and the booking pace for arrivals through December rose 13.2%. The DestiMetrics lodging data covers 28,000 lodging units in 17 Western mountain communities across seven states.