New Zealand Official Yearbook 2000'. 23,625 people were employed in the sport and recreation industry in 1997. Almost four out of ten adults are members of a club or gym, and two out of ten adults belong to sports clubs. Statistics New Zealand Interpreting Charts Trends Sport and recreation is a growing industry in New Zealand. In the last ten years employment opportunities have changed from being mostly voluntary, to there being more professional career opportunities.
Careers range within the industry, from sports administration, to outdoor recreation instruction.
The increasing range of recreation services and the change from amateur to professional status of some sports, such as rugby union, has increased the number of job opportunities in this industry. Two major influences on employment opportunities in the sport and recreation industry are the economy and the amount of funding available. A lot of sports are financed by commercial sponsorship, or are government-funded through the Hillary Commission. Recently, the Government set up a ministerial task force to research the best options for New Zealand sport, fitness and leisure during the next 25 years. The recommendations are expected to impact significantly on the way in which the Hillary Commission operates and how funding is distributed.