Table 8. The 30 occupations with the largest employment declines, 2006-2016
Table 8. The 30 occupations with the largest employment declines, 2006-2016
(In thousands)
Most significant source of
Occupation Occupational group Employment Change postsecondary education
or training (1)
2006 2016 Number Percent
Stock clerks and order fillers ...... Office and administrative Short-term on-the-job
support occupations .......... 1,705 1,574 -131 -7.7 training
Cashiers, except gaming ............. Sales and related occupations . 3,500 3,382 -118 -3.4 Short-term on-the-job
training
Packers and packagers, hand ......... Transportation and material Short-term on-the-job
moving occupations ........... 834 730 -104 -12.4 training
File clerks ......................... Office and administrative Short-term on-the-job
support occupations .......... 234 137 -97 -41.3 training
Farmers and ranchers ................ Management, business, and Long-term on-the-job
financial occupations (2) .... 1,058 969 -90 -8.5 training
Order clerks ........................ Office and administrative Short-term on-the-job
support occupations .......... 271 205 -66 -24.3 training
Sewing machine operators ............ Production occupations ........ 233 170 -63 -27.2 Moderate-term on-the-
job training
Electrical and electronic equipment Short-term on-the-job
assemblers ......................... Production occupations ........ 213 156 -57 -26.8 training
Cutting, punching, and press machine
setters, operators, and tenders, Moderate-term on-the-
metal and plastic .................. Production occupations ........ 272 231 -40 -14.9 job training
Telemarketers ...................... Sales and related occupations . 395 356 -39 -9.9 Short-term on-the-job
training
Inspectors, testers, sorters, Moderate-term on-the-
samplers, and weighers............ Production occupations ........ 491 457 -35 -7.0 job training
First-line supervisors/managers of Work experience in a
production and operating workers . Production occupations ........ 699 665 -34 -4.8 related occupation
Computer operators ................ Office and administrative Moderate-term on-the-
support occupations .......... 130 98 -32 -24.7 job training
Photographic processing machine Short-term on-the-job
operators ....................... Production occupations ........ 49 25 -25 -49.8 training
Driver/sales workers ............. Transportation and material Short-term on-the-job
moving occupations ........... 445 421 -24 -5.3 training
Machine feeders and offbearers ... Transportation and material Short-term on-the-job
moving occupations ........... 148 125 -22 -15.2 training
Packaging and filling machine Short-term on-the-job
operators and tenders ........... Production occupations ........ 386 365 -21 -5.4 training
Word processors and typists ...... Office and administrative Moderate-term on-the-
support occupations .......... 179 158 -21 -11.6 job training
Paper goods machine setters, Moderate-term on-the-
operators, and tenders .......... Production occupations ........ 113 93 -21 -18.2 job training
Farmworkers and laborers, crop, Farming, fishing, and forestry Short-term on-the-job
nursery, and greenhouse ......... occupations .................. 603 583 -20 -3.4 training
Molding, coremaking, and casting
machine setters, operators, and Moderate-term on-the-
tenders, metal and plastic ...... Production occupations ........ 157 137 -20 -12.8 job training
Computer programmers ............. Professional and related
occupations (3) .............. 435 417 -18 -4.1 Bachelor's degree
Mail clerks and mail machine
operators, except postal Office and administrative Short-term on-the-job
service ......................... support occupations .......... 152 134 -18 -11.6 training
Postal service mail sorters,
processors, and processing machine Office and administrative Short-term on-the-job
operators ....................... support occupations .......... 198 181 -17 -8.4 training
Lathe and turning machine tool
setters, operators, and tenders, Moderate-term on-the-
metal and plastic ............... Production occupations ........ 68 52 -16 -23.3 job training
Prepress technicians and workers . Production occupations ........ 71 56 -15 -21.1 Postsecondary vocational
award
Switchboard operators, including Office and administrative Short-term on-the-job
answering service ............... support occupations .......... 177 163 -15 -8.4 training
Data entry keyers ................ Office and administrative Moderate-term on-the-
support occupations .......... 313 299 -15 -4.7 job training
Bindery workers .................. Production occupations ........ 65 51 -14 -21.8 Short-term on-the-job
training
1 An occupation is placed into 1 of 11 categories that best describes the postsecondary education or training needed by most workers to
become fully qualified in that occupation. For more information about the categories, see Occupational Projections and Training Data,
2006-07 edition, Bulletin 2602 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 2006) and Occupational Projections and Training Data, 2008-09 edition,
Bulletin 2702 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, forthcoming).
2 Major occupational groups 11-0000 through 13-0000 in the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC).
3 Major occupational groups 15-0000 through 29-0000 in the 2000 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC).
Last Modified Date: December 04, 2007
Bureau of Labor Statistics
