Sport and recreation means all forms of physical activity which aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental wellbeing.  The industry falls within the following Standard Industrial Classifications (SICs):

• 9261 Operation of sports arenas and stadia
• 9262 Other sporting activities
• 9133 Activities of other membership organisations
• 9272 Other recreational activities n.e.c.
• 9304 Physical well-being activities
• 0142 Animal husbandry service activities (exc. veterinary activities)
• 8021 General Secondary Education

The sport and recreation industry gross value added (GVA) was an estimated £5.2 billion in 2004, which accounts for 0.6% of England’s output. 

There is considerable interest in the sports sector ranging from the impact of sport on the economy generally, to the regional economic impact of hosting large international sports events.  Sport is seen as a means to: engage the socially excluded; prevent young offenders from re-offending: and combat obesity.

Employment in the industry is estimated at 363,000 in the UK, accounting for 63% of the Active Leisure and Learning sector employment and 1.2% of total UK employment.  Industry employment is concentrated in the South East  with over 60,000 employees (17%), but there are also significant numbers in the North West and Scotland.   Wales and Northern Ireland have the smallest numbers accounting for 25,500 workers in total. Over the next 10 years, employment levels in England are expected to increase by 100,000 (21%).

Similar to the Active Leisure and Learning sector average, 89% of the industry workforce are employees and 11% self-employed.  However, 47% of workers are employed part-time, compared to 22% across all sectors in the UK.

Professional, associate professional and technical, personal service and elementary occupations are more important to sport and recreation than the economy as a whole.  Associate professional and technical occupations is the largest occupational group within the industry, representing 20% of the total workforce.   Compared with the UK workforce, managers and proprietors in hospitality and leisure services, agricultural trades (including grounds staff), leisure and travel service occupations together with elementary personal services occupations are also over represented. 

The sport and recreation workforce is predominantly female (54% female in England).  The industry has a much younger age profile (aged 16-24 years) than in the economy as a whole, but will be concentrated at 18 years and over because of regulatory requirements for some roles.  Ethnic minorities are under-represented in the industry: 95% of employees are white compared to 93% in the whole economy.

26% of the workforce has a Level 4 or 5 qualification, which is lower than the whole economy (29%).  31% of the workforce hold no or Level 1 qualifications, and 27% have a Level 2 qualification. 

Key drivers in the industry:

• customer trends and increasing health awareness
• increase in older customers with more leisure time, requiring low impact activities
• globalisation and technology, limited to management of bookings
• government policy increasing participation in sport
• innovation in provision

Source: Skills Needs Assessment – England 2005 and Skills Needs Assessment – Sport and Recreation 2005

Keywords
Gross value added (GVA) is the difference between the value of goods and services produced and the cost of raw materials and other inputs which are used up in production.

Click here for more information on current education and training provision in sport and recreation. 

For employment levels by region and nation see: