Workforce Toolbox for the Outdoor Lifestyle:
Executive Summary
The Evolving Labor Market
Access to a qualified workforce remains the foremost challenge facing businesses today, particularly as the labor market continues to evolve in response to technological advancements, demographic changes, and shifting workforce values and expectations. New Hampshire’s severe workforce shortage is driven largely by its aging population and housing demand. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are only 28 available workers for every 100 open positions in the state. Addressing this challenge requires a multi-disciplinary approach across sectors to meet the growing demand for top occupations.
When navigating this changing employment landscape, it’s key to recognize that today’s workforce is motivated by more than just salary or career advancement. Emerging talent values lifestyle, flexibility, and purpose, often viewing job opportunities more like consumer choices in a digital marketplace. To compete effectively, companies need to rethink how they attract and retain workers — focusing not just on the roles they offer, but on creating environments where people want to live, work, and thrive.
FACTS & FIGURES - 197 unfilled jobs in New Hampshire by 2032 according to the
State of New Hampshire Workforce Assessment Report.
New Hampshire's Competitive Advantage
New Hampshire's natural landscape and outdoor recreation opportunities are its greatest untapped advantage in the competition for workers. The state provides an unmatched environment for a balanced and active lifestyle with its numerous forests, pristine lakes, mountain trails, rivers, and coastal beauty. A company’s strategies should leverage these assets to attract workers, as they are more than just amenities — they are authentic connections to place, purpose, and belonging.
It is not surprising that New Hampshire is consistently recognized in national rankings, such as US News and Report's #2 ranking for Best States Overall. Quality of life is a major factor for college students and recent graduates when deciding to stay and live in New Hampshire, with 94% citing it as a reason in a recent Stay Work Play study. Many New Hampshire businesses have an exciting opportunity to better leverage outdoor
recreation as a powerful competitive edge in attracting and retaining top talent.
A Strategic Necessity for Employers
As the competition for skilled talent intensifies nationwide, businesses need to move beyond traditional employment packages and reinvent time-tested recruitment strategies through a modern lens. In today’s landscape, quality of life is not just a benefit — it’s a strategic advantage that attracts and retains top talent. The future of recruitment lies in creating company missions and cultures that appeal to the whole person—not just the worker. Embedding outdoor lifestyle opportunities into workplace culture allows a company to build an authentic, attractive brand that resonates with the next
generation of talent.
Recognizing this, the New Hampshire Workforce Toolkit for the Outdoor Lifestyle (Toolkit) was created to help employers, harness the power of the state’s outdoor culture as a key element in workforce recruitment and retention strategies. The Toolkit is designed to help businesses integrate outdoor recreation into a strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP)—a strategic model that defines a company’s appeal and positions it as a rewarding and desirable place to work.
By integrating elements of the Toolkit into an EVP, employers can:
- Differentiate a company in a crowded talent market.
- Foster a workplace culture, which leads to increased employee happiness, health, cohesion, and productivity, while also mitigating burnout and turnover costs.
- Drive stronger employee loyalty and enhance brand image among both staff and customers.
The Toolkit is intended as a guide for businesses of varying sizes and industries, and certain opportunities may fit some businesses better than others. It provides actionable strategies, messaging templates, and community partnerships that can help businesses integrate wellness, flexibility, and engagement into recruitment and retention efforts. If a business already focuses on outdoor recreation as part of its EVP, these tactics can support efforts to market the EVP effectively.
New Hampshire stands at a unique junction for progress: with an unparalleled natural environment and a workforce seeking purpose, health, and balance, the stage is set for Granite State companies to embrace the opportunity to lead the nation in lifestyle-based workforce attraction — and, in doing so, help mitigate the state’s workforce shortages.