Bureau of Labor Statistics: A summary of Tomorrow’s jobs
Making informed career decisions requires reliable information about opportunities in the future. Opportunities result from the relationships between the population, labor force, and the demand for goods and services. ~ US Bureau of Labor Statistics
The unemployment rate in USA is almost 10% – the worst in decades. A large number of well qualified individuals are desperately looking for jobs. Finding a job that you really like, and getting it, can be a challenging process.
The unemployment rate in USA is almost 10% – the worst in decades. A large number of well qualified individuals are desperately looking for jobs. Finding a job that you really like, and getting it, can be a challenging process.
This article provides a long term view of the jobs and occupation that are, and going to be, in high demand in USA. The information and data is based on the study from U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. A wide variety of occupations are forecast to be in high demand. Among all occupations, health-care is forecast to make up 7 of the 20 fastest growing occupations.
The first chart displays the jobs and occupations that are supposed to enjoy the highest rate of increase. The Top jobs with highest percent change in employment over the period of 2006-16, as shown in the chart, include:
- Network systems and data communications analysts
- Personal and home care aides
- Home health aides
- Computer software engineers, applications
- Veterinary technologists and technicians
- Personal financial advisers
- Makeup artists, theatrical and performance
- Medical assistants
- Veterinarians
- Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors
- Skin care specialists
- Financial analysts
- and so on…..For more details, you may refer to the chart on the right.
According to this detailed study, the 7 top health-care occupations are exhibiting high growth rates. Overall, as you can see in the chart, the high growth rates comes from health care, social assistance, engineering, services and technical occupations.
It is worth noting that the percentage increase or the rate of growth within a job sector may not provide the complete job picture because some occupation have much larger number of employees compared to others. To understand the ‘absolute value’ or the actual number of jobs added, the numerical growth chart (the second one here) is much more telling.
According to the study, the top 20 occupations listed in the second chart will account for more than one-third of all new jobs, 6.6 million combined, over the period of 2006-2016. The occupations with ‘the largest numerical increase’ include:
- Registered nurses
- Retail sales-persons
- Customer service representatives
- Combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food
- Office clerks, general
- Personal and home care aides
- Home health aides
- Post-secondary teachers
- Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners
- Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
- Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Waiters and waitresses
- Child care workers
- and so on…as shown in the second chart here
Looking at these two charts, some of the long trends in job market stand out:
- The jobs and occupation with specific skills and qualifications are among the jobs in high demand.
- Health-care, network and computer engineering occupations are growing at fast rate.
- Nursing, sales-rep, food industry, office jobs, teachers are expected to have large number of openings.
- A wide variety of sectors will continue to grow, offering opportunities for all who excel in their fields.
Even though the study is based on USA labor market, similar trends in job demands may also apply to other countries as well. In general health care, engineering, services and technical fields seem to exhibit higher demand.