Employment Trends in the Future – Job Decline

Employment Trends in the Future – Job Decline

Just as we add jobs in some industries, we lose jobs in others. What jobs will suffer from the most decline over the next ten years or so? These tables show the fastest and largest declining jobs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Two reasons explain why these jobs are declining the fastest – automation and outsourcing. Half of these positions are in textile industries; a product that has become very cheap to produce due to advancing technology. Outsourcing has also hit this industry hard. Postal service positions are shrinking in large part due to the prevalence of email and other forms of electronic communication. Total mail volume shrunk by 3 billion pieces from 2010-2011. These positions have no required higher education and with the exception of postal workers, aren’t very high paying.

Many of these positions are on the fastest declining list as well. Those that aren’t are similar; these positions are almost becoming obsolete because of technology. Agricultural workers are being displaced because of advancing farm technology and the rise of corporate farms, and are likely being underreported because many farm workers are paid under the table. Data Keyers and Typists are being displaced by improved software. These positions require little education as well.

A final note. Even though many workers will be displaced from their jobs, in the long run, most will move into work in other industries and the unemployment rate will not be higher than average for an extended period. The market has a way of ironing out issues such as these. Still, the effect of losing a job is serious.

Landon J. Latham

Career Educator