Hunting for jobs is still tough these days, no matter how low the unemployment rate has dropped. Selectivity is the name of the game for employers. And if you are a job seeker sending out hundreds of resumes, you know that the labor market recovery is still uneven.
Indeed, South Mountain Economics has crunched the numbers, and discovered that some key occupations are actually shrinking. For example, employment in healthcare support occupations such as nursing aides and medical assistants is down by 1% over the past year, as hospitals cuts costs. Education, training and library jobs are down by 0.3%, as state and local governments tighten their belts. And surprisingly, the BLS is reporting that architecture and engineering jobs are down by 1.1% over the past year, though it is likely that some categories of engineers are growing. South Mountain Economics will do further analysis on these shrinking occupations to understand the underlying dynamics.
Meanwhile, jobseekers should know that some occupations are growing like gangbusters. Computer and mathematical occupations are up by 7.6%, or 297 thousand jobs, propelled by the shift to the data-driven economy. Construction and extraction occupations are up by 4.9%, or 353 thousand jobs, driven by the revival of the housing market and by the energy revolution. And healthcare practitioner and technical occupations are up by 3.8%, or 309 thousand jobs.
A full list of growing and shrinking occupations can be found here.
South Mountain Economics 