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It’s only logical to think that the job market will eventually rebound — or at least stabilize — following the damage caused by the pandemic. But with a near-certain recession on the horizon for 2023, there’s no reason to think that the labor market will hold steady anytime soon.
See: More Americans Are Turning to Freelance Work Amid Struggle To Find Workers
Find: Top 10 Recession-Proof Jobs
However, we can anticipate which employment sectors will by revived and which will continue to grow over the next decade. Using current BLS stats, data-driven news site Stacker has compiled a list of the 30 jobs projected to grow the most by 2031 and the results are both expected and unforeseen.
Here are the top 10 jobs projected to grow the most in the next decade, including 2021-2031 projected employment change, 2021 and projected 2031 employment numbers and projected job openings. To see Stacker’s full list of 30 jobs, look here.
10. Umpires, Referees and Other Sports Officials
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +4,200 (31.7% change)
- 2021 employment: 13,200
- Projected 2031 employment: 17,400
- Projected annual job openings: 3,600
9. Statisticians
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +11,200 (32.7% change)
- 2021 employment: 34,200
- Projected 2031 employment: 45,300
- Projected annual job openings: 3,900
8. Information Security Analysts
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +56,500 (34.7% change)
- 2021 employment: 163,000
- Projected 2031 employment: 219,500
- Projected annual job openings: 19,500
7. Athletes and Sports Competitors
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +5,700 (35.7% change)
- 2021 employment: 15,800
- Projected 2031 employment: 21,500
- Projected annual job openings: 2,900
6. Data Scientists
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +40,500 (35.8% change)
- 2021 employment: 113,300
- Projected 2031 employment: 153,900
- Projected annual job openings: 13,500
5. Cooks, Restaurant Positions
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +459,900 (36.6% change)
- 2021 employment: 1,255,600
- Projected 2031 employment: 1,715,600
- Projected annual job openings: 274,000
4. Motion Picture Projectionists
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +800 (40.3% change)
- 2021 employment: 2,000
- Projected 2031 employment: 2,800
- Projected annual job openings: 700
3. Ushers, Lobby Attendants and Ticket Takers
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +25,600 (40.5% change)
- 2021 employment: 63,200
- Projected 2031 employment: 88,800
- Projected annual job openings: 24,100
2. Wind Turbine Service Technicians
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +4,900 (44.3% change)
- 2021 employment: 11,100
- Projected 2031 employment: 16,100
- Projected annual job openings: 1,900
1. Nurse Practitioners
- 2021-2031 projected employment change: +112,700 (45.7% change)
- 2021 employment: 246,700
- Projected 2031 employment: 359,400
- Projected annual job openings: 26,800
In a Sep. 2021 article on the fastest growing jobs and careers for the next 10 years, Forbes noted the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts an employment increase of “153.5 million to 165.4 million over the 2020-30 decade, an increase of 11.9 million jobs.” Healthcare professions like occupational and physical therapists and assistants, epidemiologists, personal care aides, health care managers, specialty teachers and nurse practitioners will continue to be in demand as the baby boomer population ages and serious healthcare concerns prevail.
As Forbes mentioned, the healthcare and social assistance sectors are “projected to add the most jobs of all industry sectors, about 3.3 million jobs over 2020-30.”
Conversely, workers in the sports and entertainment, and leisure and hospitality industries were among the first to have their jobs put on hiatus or eliminated completely. So it is not surprising to see jobs in these sectors showing up in the top 10 list above.
Explore: 10 In-Demand Jobs To Consider in 2023
Learn: 44% of US Adults Are Not Ready For a Recession – How To Prepare
Stacker predicts that athletes and sports officials, restaurant cooks and even ushers, lobby attendants, ticket takers and movie projectionists — jobs once thought to become extinct — will grow significantly before 2031.
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