United States Department of Labor

Hot Jobs for the 21st Century, 2006-2016

PROJECTIONS for YEAR 2016—

Labor Force—

• The labor force is estimated to increase by 12.8 million persons between 2006 and 2016; about 6.3 million (49 percent) will be women.

• In 2016, women are expected to comprise 46.5 percent of the estimated 164.2 million persons in the labor force.

Employment—

• During the 2006-2016 period, total employment is projected to increase by 10.4 percent from 150.6 to 166.2 million.

• Over the 2006-2016 period, employment in professional and related occupations is projected to grow at the same rate as employment in service occupations—both at 16.7 percent.

• Between the 2006-16 period, production occupations are expected to see a loss of slightly more than half a million jobs (528,000).

• Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations will decline by 29,000 jobs due to increased mechanization, rising imports of food and fish, and consolidation of the agricultural industry.

Occupations: Fastest Growth

• The fastest growing occupations are dominated by professional and related occupations associated with health care and the provision of social and mental health services. Examples of these occupations are:

• Health related: personal and home care aides; home health aides; medical assistants; substance abuse and behavior disorder counselors; social and human service assistants; physical therapists assistants; pharmacy technicians; dental hygienists; and mental health counselors; mental health and substance abuse social workers; dental assistants; physical therapists; and physician assistants.
  
  
• Computer related: network systems and data communications analysts; computer software engineers, applications; computer systems analysts; database administrators; and computer software engineers, systems software.
  
  
• Personal care and service related: makeup artists; theatrical and performance; skin care specialists; manicurists and pedicurists.
  
  
• Other fast growing occupations: veterinary technologists and technicians; personal financial advisors; veterinarians; financial analysts; gaming surveillance officers and gaming investigators; forensic science technicians; marriage and family therapists; gaming and sports book writers and runners; and environmental science and protection technicians, including health.

• Rapid growth in health-related occupations reflects an aging population that requires more health care, a wealthier population that can afford better health care, and advances in medical technology that permit more health problems to be treated more aggressively.

• The fastest growing health-related and personal care occupations are already dominated by women and it stands to reason that women will continue to do so.

Occupations: Largest Growth

• The 30 occupations with the largest job growth are much less concentrated in professional and related occupations than the 30 fastest growing occupations.

• Examples of these are:
  
  
• Professional and managerial: registered nurses; general and operations managers; computer software engineers, applications; accountants and auditors; management analysts; computer systems analysts; and network systems and data communications analysts.
  
  
• Service related: retail salespersons; janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeeping cleaners; child care workers; maids and housekeeping cleaners; and security guards.
  
  
• Office and administrative support: office clerks, general; bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks; executive secretaries and administrative assistants; receptionists and information clerks; and customer service representatives.
  
  
• Health care support: home health aides; nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants; personal and home care aides; and medical assistants.
  
  
• Food preparation and serving related: waiters and waitresses; combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food; and food preparation workers.
  
  
• Teaching: post secondary teachers; elementary school teachers, except special education; and teacher assistants.
  
  
• Transportation and material moving: truck drivers, heavy and tractor-trailer; laborers and freight and stock, and material movers, hand; and truck drivers, light and delivery services.
  
  
• Other: landscaping and grounds keeping workers; carpenters; and maintenance and repair workers, general.

• Short-term on-the-job training is the level of post-secondary education or training most workers will need to become fully qualified in the majority of these large growth occupations.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November 2007.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November 2007.