Implications of the Great Recession for Higher Education in Leisure Studies

Although students in the broad field of leisure studies may pursue a variety of opportunities post-graduation, employment within local parks and recreation represents one potential career path. Unfortunately, the Great Recession disproportionately impacted local parks and recreation relative to competing public services. As such, this article examines the implications of the Great Recession for higher education in leisure studies. To do so, we first present data from the pre- and post-recession periods that illustrate (a) a shift toward a part-time labor force in local park and recreation service delivery; (b) the failure of local parks and recreation to keep pace with other local services in terms of part-time wages; and (c) a rise in private sector employment in the arts, entertainment, and recreation. We conclude by contextualizing the current analysis in terms of previous discussions of the state and future of leisure studies.