No. 03 - 01 May 2003
HOT JOBS FOR THE 21st
CENTURY
Over the 2000-2010 period, total employment is projected to increase by
22.2 million jobs. From jobs in farming, fishing, and forestry to jobs in
management, business, and finance, every major occupational group will
experience some amount of job growth. Smaller employment gains, like those
projected in production occupations (750,000 jobs) and those in installation,
maintenance, and repair occupations (662,000 jobs) will be dwarfed by the gains
expected in professional and related occupations (7.0 million jobs) and those
in service occupations (5.1 million jobs).
In addition to the employment gains mentioned above, there will also be
increases in labor force participation over the 2000-2010 period. The number of
women in the labor force is projected to increase from 65.6 million in 2000 to
75.5 million in 2010--an increase of 15.1 percent. The number of men in the
labor force is projected to increase from 75.2 million in 2000 to 82.2 million
in 2010--a 9.3 percent increase. By 2010, women are projected to account for 48
percent of the total labor force.
As women's share of the labor force continues to climb, it is important
for women to be aware of the jobs that will have the fastest growth, the jobs
with the largest numerical increases, and the education and training necessary
to secure one of these jobs. Fastest job growth refers to the percentage change
in employment within a particular occupation over a specific period of time.
Numerical job growth refers to the total number of jobs created within an
occupation over a specific period of time.
The pay offered by these growth occupations should also be considered
when choosing a job or career. While wage projections by occupations are not
available, a look at the median weekly earnings of wage and salary workers who
usually work full time, by occupation, provides additional job resource
information.
Table 1 shows employment by major occupational groups in 2000 and
projections for 2010. Table 2 shows the occupations with the fastest job
growth over the 2000-2010 period. Table 3 shows the occupations with the
largest numerical job growth over the 2000-2010 period. Table 4 shows
the median weekly earnings in 2001 for some of the occupations expected to have
fast job growth or large numerical job growth over the 2000-2010 period. If
employment is projected to increase 36 percent or more, a job is considered to
grow much faster than average; an increase of 21 to 35 percent, faster than
average; an increase of 10 to 20 percent, growth about as fast as average; an
increase of 3 to 9 percent, more slowly than average; an increase of zero to 2
percent, little or no change; and a decrease of 1 percent or more, a decline
(see Table 1).
Table 1 Employment by Major Occupational
Group, 2000 and Projected 2010 (numbers in thousands) Text
Version
|
Employment |
|
Change |
Occupational
group |
2000 |
2010 |
|
Number |
Percent |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total, all occupations |
145,594 |
167,754 |
|
22,160 |
15.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Management, business, |
|
|
|
|
|
and financial
occupations |
15,519 |
17,635 |
|
2,115 |
13.6 |
Professional and related
occupations |
26,758 |
33,709 |
|
6,952 |
26 |
Service occupations |
26,075 |
31,163 |
|
5,088 |
19.5 |
Sales and related
occupations |
15,513 |
17,365 |
|
1,852 |
11.9 |
Office and
administrative |
|
|
|
|
|
support
occupations |
23,882 |
26,053 |
|
2,171 |
9.1 |
Farming, fishing, and forestry
occupations |
1,429 |
1,480 |
|
51 |
3.6 |
Construction and extraction
occupations |
7,451 |
8,439 |
|
989 |
13.3 |
Installation,
maintenance, |
|
|
|
|
|
and repair
occupations |
5,820 |
6,482 |
|
662 |
11.4 |
Production occupations |
13,060 |
13,811 |
|
750 |
5.7 |
Transportation and |
|
|
|
|
|
material moving
occupations |
10,088 |
11,618 |
|
1,530 |
15.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November
2001. |
The occupational groups expected to add at least 2 million new jobs
while displaying at least average job growth between 2000 and 2010 are:
professional and related occupations; service occupations; and management,
business, and financial occupations.
Of all the major occupational groups (see Table 1),
professional and related occupations is projected to increase the
fastest (26.0 percent) and add the largest number of jobs (7 million) between
2000 and 2010. The majority of this job growth comes from three subgroups:
computer and mathematical occupations; health care practitioners and technical
occupations; and education, training, and library occupations. Examples of
occupations within these three areas are: computer software engineers; database
administrators; desktop publishers; medical records and health information
technicians; and special education, preschool, and elementary teachers. Among
health care practitioners, registered nurses--by far the largest occupation in
this subgroup--should account for more than a third of all new jobs.
Service occupations will have the second largest numerical job
growth (5.1 million jobs) and the second highest rate of job growth (19.5
percent). The subgroups that will account for most of this job growth are food
preparation and serving related occupations (1.6 million jobs); health care
support occupations (1.1 million jobs); personal care and service occupations
(856,000 jobs); protective service occupations (809,000); and building and
grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations (779,000 jobs).
Management, business, and financial occupations will grow by 2.1
million jobs. Within this group, management occupations will add nearly 1.3
million jobs and business and financial operations occupations will add 845,000
jobs.
Sales and related occupations are projected to grow about as fast
as average (11.9 percent) with a total job increase of about 1.9 million jobs.
The largest numerical job growth in this group, however, is in occupations with
fairly low median weekly earnings--such as cashiers, retail salespersons, and
supervisors, sales workers. Median weekly earnings for these three occupations
ranged from $299-$618 in 2001.
Jobs in office and administrative support occupations are
projected to increase by 2.2 million, however, they will grow more slowly than
average. The largest numerical job growth is expected in customer service
representatives, receptionists and information clerks, and bill and account
collectors. This group also contains some of the occupations with the largest
job declines--order clerks, 71,000 jobs; tellers, 59,000 jobs; insurance claims
and policy processing clerks, 58,000 jobs; and word processors and typists,
57,000 jobs.
Average job growth is projected for transportation and material
moving occupations. Of the 1.5 million jobs that will be created in this
group, nearly 40 percent will be for driver/sales workers and truck
drivers--heavy, tractor-trailer, light, and delivery. Water transportation
occupations will grow much slower than average and railroad occupations will
show an 18.5 percent decline in jobs over the 2000-2010 period.
As shown in Table 2, of the 30 occupations with the fastest job
growth over the 2000-2010 period, 17 are health-related and 10 are
computer-related occupations. Some of the fast-growing health-related
occupations include personal and home care aides; physician assistants; medical
assistants; medical records and health information technicians; dental
hygienists; speech-language pathologists; and veterinary technologists and
technicians. Some of the fast-growing computer-related occupations include
computer software engineers, applications and systems software; network and
computer systems administrators; desktop publishers; database administrators;
and computer systems analysts.
Of the 30 occupations with the largest numerical job growth over the
2000-2010 period (see Table 3), some of the health-related occupations
are registered nurses, home health aides, and medical assistants. Examples of
the computer-related occupations are computer support specialists, computer
software applications engineers, and computer systems analysts. Within the
education, training, and library occupations, some are postsecondary teachers,
teacher assistants, and elementary school teachers, except special
education.
Table 2 Occupations with the Fastest Job
Growth, 2000-2010 (Numbers in thousands of jobs) Text
Version
|
Employment |
|
|
Change |
Occupation |
2000 |
2010 |
|
|
Number |
Percent |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Computer related
occupations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Computer software engineers,
applications |
380 |
760 |
|
|
380 |
100 |
Computer support
specialists |
506 |
996 |
|
|
490 |
97 |
Computer software engineers,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
systems
software |
317 |
601 |
|
|
284 |
90 |
Network and computer systems
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
administrators |
229 |
416 |
|
|
187 |
82 |
Network systems and data
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
communications analysts |
119 |
211 |
|
|
92 |
77 |
Desktop publishers |
38 |
63 |
|
|
25 |
67 |
Database administrators |
106 |
176 |
|
|
70 |
66 |
Computer systems
analysts |
431 |
689 |
|
|
258 |
60 |
Computer and information systems
managers |
313 |
463 |
|
|
150 |
48 |
Computer and information
scientists, research |
28 |
39 |
|
|
11 |
40 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Health related
occupations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Personal and home care
aides |
414 |
672 |
|
|
258 |
62 |
Medical assistants |
329 |
516 |
|
|
187 |
57 |
Physician assistants |
58 |
89 |
|
|
31 |
53 |
Medical records and health
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
information
technicians |
136 |
202 |
|
|
66 |
49 |
Home health aides |
615 |
907 |
|
|
291 |
47 |
Physical therapist
aides |
36 |
53 |
|
|
17 |
46 |
Audiologists |
13 |
19 |
|
|
6 |
45 |
Occupational therapist
aides |
9 |
12 |
|
|
4 |
45 |
Physical therapist
assistants |
44 |
64 |
|
|
20 |
45 |
Occupational therapist
assistants |
17 |
23 |
|
|
7 |
40 |
Veterinary assistants and
laboratory |
|
|
|
|
|
|
animal
caretakers |
55 |
77 |
|
|
22 |
40 |
Veterinary technologists and
technicians |
49 |
69 |
|
|
19 |
39 |
Speech-language
pathologists |
88 |
122 |
|
|
34 |
39 |
Mental health and substance
abuse |
|
|
|
|
|
|
social
workers |
83 |
116 |
|
|
33 |
39 |
Dental assistants |
247 |
339 |
|
|
92 |
37 |
Dental hygienists |
147 |
201 |
|
|
54 |
37 |
Pharmacy technicians |
190 |
259 |
|
|
69 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Other
occupations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Social and human service
assistants |
271 |
418 |
|
|
147 |
54 |
Fitness trainers and aerobics
instructors |
158 |
222 |
|
|
64 |
40 |
Special education teachers,
preschool, |
|
|
|
|
|
|
kindergarten, and elementary
school |
234 |
320 |
|
|
86 |
37 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November
2001. |
Table 3 Selected Occupations with the Largest
Job Growth, 2000-2010 (Numbers in thousands of jobs) Text
Version
|
Employment |
|
Change |
Occupation |
2000 |
2010 |
|
Number |
Percent |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Combined food preparation and
serving |
|
|
|
|
|
workers,
including fast food |
2,206 |
2,879 |
|
673 |
30 |
Customer service
representatives |
1,946 |
2,577 |
|
631 |
32 |
Registered nurses |
2,194 |
2,755 |
|
561 |
26 |
Retail salespersons |
4,109 |
4,619 |
|
510 |
12 |
Computer support
specialists |
506 |
996 |
|
490 |
97 |
Cashiers, except gaming |
3,325 |
3,799 |
|
474 |
14 |
Office clerks, general |
2,705 |
3,135 |
|
430 |
16 |
Security guards |
1,106 |
1,497 |
|
391 |
35 |
Computer software engineers,
applications |
380 |
760 |
|
380 |
100 |
Waiters and waitresses |
1,983 |
2,347 |
|
364 |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
General and operations
managers |
2,398 |
2,761 |
|
363 |
15 |
Truck drivers, heavy and
tractor-trailer |
1,749 |
2,095 |
|
346 |
20 |
Nursing aides, orderlies, and
attendants |
1,373 |
1,697 |
|
323 |
24 |
Janitors and cleaners, except maids
|
|
|
|
|
|
and
housekeeping cleaners |
2,348 |
2,665 |
|
317 |
13 |
Postsecondary teachers |
1,344 |
1,659 |
|
315 |
23 |
Teacher assistants |
1,262 |
1,562 |
|
301 |
24 |
Home health aides |
615 |
907 |
|
291 |
47 |
Laborers and freight, stock, and
|
|
|
|
|
|
material
movers, hand |
2,084 |
2,373 |
|
289 |
14 |
Computer software engineers,
|
|
|
|
|
|
systems
software |
317 |
601 |
|
284 |
90 |
Landscaping and groundskeeping
workers |
894 |
1,154 |
|
260 |
29 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Personal and home care
aides |
414 |
672 |
|
258 |
62 |
Computer systems
analysts |
431 |
689 |
|
258 |
60 |
Receptionists and information
clerks |
1,078 |
1,334 |
|
256 |
24 |
Truck drivers, light or delivery
services |
1,117 |
1,331 |
|
215 |
19 |
Packers and packagers,
hand |
1,091 |
1,300 |
|
210 |
19 |
Elementary school teachers,
|
|
|
|
|
|
except
special education |
1,532 |
1,734 |
|
202 |
13 |
Medical assistants |
329 |
516 |
|
187 |
57 |
Network and computer |
|
|
|
|
|
systems
administrators |
229 |
416 |
|
187 |
82 |
Secondary school teachers, except
|
|
|
|
|
|
special and
vocational education |
1,004 |
1,190 |
|
187 |
19 |
Accountants and
auditors |
976 |
1,157 |
|
181 |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: U.S. Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November
2001. |
The median weekly earnings of all wage and salary workers who worked
full time in 2001 was $597 for both sexes. Even though an occupation may be
projected to show faster than average growth and/or a large numerical increase,
the median weekly earnings of that occupation could be much lower than the
average for all workers (see Table 4).
Table 4 2001 Median Weekly Earnings of
Selected Growth Occupations Text
Version
|
Median Weekly Earnings, 2001 (Both Sexes) |
Occupations
with fastest job growth |
Computer systems analysts and
scientists |
$1,100 |
Operations and systems
researchers |
|
and
analysts |
931 |
Physician assistants |
839 |
Speech therapists |
834 |
Special education teachers |
761 |
Elementary school teachers |
740 |
Health technologists and
technicians |
562 |
Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten
teachers |
480 |
Dental assistants |
435 |
|
|
Occupations with largest job
growth |
|
Computer systems analysts and
scientists |
$1,100 |
Teachers, college and
university |
1,009 |
Registered nurses |
829 |
Secondary school teachers |
774 |
Accountants and auditors |
773 |
Elementary school teachers |
740 |
Truck
drivers |
593 |
General office clerks |
465 |
Information clerks |
421 |
Health aides, except
nursing |
375 |
Sales
workers, retail and personal services |
363 |
Nursing aides, orderlies, and
attendants |
360 |
Hand
packers and packagers |
326 |
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Monthly Labor Review, November 2001 and Employment and
Earnings, January 2002. |
Conclusion
Among the major occupational groups (as shown
in Table 1), employment in professional and related occupations and
service occupations will increase the fastest and add the most jobs between the
2000-2010 period. While professional and related occupations require the most
education and training and offer the highest earnings, service occupations
require the least amount of training and offer some of the lowest earnings.
More detailed information about any occupation, including training and
resources, mentioned in this report can be found in the U.S. Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' publication, "Occupational Outlook
Handbook," 2002-2003 Edition. It can also be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm.
|