President Biden mentioned during his April 28, 2021 speech before Congress that his proposals would create new jobs. He stated a large percentage of those jobs will not require college degrees.
While jobs created through his legislative proposals may not require college degrees, jobs that require less education and training could decline or even vanish in the next decade for the economy as a whole. A quick search revealed that the five “best jobs” in the US economy require advanced training, while five jobs that are not “hot”, i.e., jobs that may disappear from the economy, require less education and training.
According to US News, the top 5 “best jobs”—those offering the best combination of, among other things, salary, challenge, career advancement, job satisfaction, quality of life, and open jobs—are:
- Physician’s Assistant,
- Software Developer,
- Nurse Practitioner,
- Medical and Health Services Manager, and
- Physician.
On the other hand, Contractbook.com recently reported on five jobs they think will disappear by the year 2030. They include:
- Travel agents,
- Taxi drivers,
- Store cashiers,
- Fast-food cooks, and
- Administrative legal jobs.
We know from social economics that jobs requiring high levels of training and education will pay more and be considered more desirable, so we will not spend a lot of time on them. It is useful, though, to think about jobs that are declining and to understand the reasons for their decline as we plan our future in the workforce.
Of course, we also recognize that examples of the five best jobs, and five declining jobs are not statistically valid samples. They just illustrate trends to be aware of.
We can help you prepare career marketing materials that emphasize transferable skills and relevant accomplishments if you are in a declining occupation. Contact us today for a free consultation appointment.
Consider change now if you are in a declining occupation.
Some of us in the workforce are in jobs that may vanish during the next decade. These jobs could become scarce as a result of structural changes in their industries and automation.
Travel Agent
Think about the last time you called or visited a travel agent to book a trip. The last travel agency store I visited about 13 years ago to book a trip is no longer in existence. Several times, I’ve booked trips through websites or apps without speaking with anyone.
The federal government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook projected a 26% decline in travel agent jobs between 2019 and 2029. As a result of the Pandemic and increased automation, the decline will probably be steeper when the Bureau of Labor Statistics updates their Handbook and website.
Regardless of whether or not the job disappears completely, you may want to think about a transition to a field where employers will benefit from your transferrable skills.
Taxi Driver
Rideshare drivers are replacing traditional taxi drivers in many places. Even worse, the ContractBook blog calls it “madness” for companies to continue paying cab drivers when customers have less expensive rideshare options, and driverless cars could be a reality by 2030. So, if your “side-hustle” is driving people around town, start thinking about doing something else.
Store Cashier
Prior to the Pandemic, the federal government projected a modest decline of 7% in cashier jobs over the 10 year period starting in 2019. Some of us ordered nearly everything online in the past year without setting foot in a store or interacting with a cashier. Furthermore, we may have used self-checkout systems when we went into stores. So again, even if the job does not literally disappear in the next ten years as Contractbook predicts, it’s not an occupation we should count on for extra income as a student job, side job, or retirement job.
Fast-food Cook
The Contractbook blog points out that some fast-food restaurants already have customers place orders through kiosks and apps. The next step would be to automate back-of-house cooking operations at these restaurants.
During the Pandemic, we’ve seen reports of “ghost kitchens” taking over cooking that used to be done in restaurants. In other words, don’t count on burger-flipping or similar work to finance your future or supplement your income.
Administrative Legal Jobs
Legal office administrative roles are also “under threat” of vanishing in the next decade according to Contractbook, although the federal government projected these jobs could increase about 10% between 2019 and 2029. Contractbook points out that automated tools can increasingly perform many functions once done by legal staff, such as contract analysis. Although administrative jobs supporting attorneys have provided solid middle-class incomes to people with and without college degrees, you should be prepared to pivot if this is what you do now.
The top five jobs require more training and education.
A characteristic that the five jobs above have in common is that all except legal administrative roles require relatively little training and education. That is not true for US News’ top five “best Jobs.” All but one of the top 5–Physician’s Assistant, Software Developer, Nurse Practitioner, Medical and Health Services Manager, and Physician—require degrees and years of training. Software developers can be self-taught, but many have degrees and advanced training.
The top five best jobs are characterized by median salaries in excess of $100,000 per year and are in high demand.
Our bottom line is that if you want a job that won’t disappear, and that will pay a living wage or better, invest your time and money in the best education and training you can get. We can help you document your education and achievements in the most favorable light so you can get the great job you qualify for. Contact us today for a no-cost consultation on your career marketing options.
Guide to the Post-pandemic Job Market
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