Research Summary. As we implement new technologies and develop new working habits, job growth for many jobs can change. After all, just as there’s a supply and demand of products, there’s also a supply and demand of jobs. Overall, our extensive research shows that:
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Total U.S. job growth is projected at 5.3% between 2021-2031, with 8.4 million jobs added.
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The fastest-growing occupation Nurse practitioners, with predicted job growth of 45.7% between 2021-2031.
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Nevada has the fastest job growth rate of any state, at 5.1%.
For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
State | Historic Numbers | Industry and Sector | Recent Numbers | Pandemic
Job Growth Statistics By Job Growth Projections
While predicted job growth rates over the next ten years aren’t set in stone, they give us a window into the expansion of certain fields. After all, very few in the 80s would have imagined how massive the IT field is today. Jobs are always changing, and here are the facts:
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Total U.S. job growth is projected at 5.3% between 2020-2030.
While this is still a healthy growth rate, it’s less than half that of the 14.3% seen between 2010-2020. That’s a difference of 11.6 million jobs, as there were just over 20 million added in the last ten years, instead of only around 8.4 million over the next ten years.
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The fastest-growing job is nurse practitioners, with predicted job growth of 45.7% between 2021-2031 .
This job entails coordinating patient care and providing primary and specialty healthcare. Nurse practitioners are licensed healthcare professionals who work in clinics, often as independent clinicians, to provide medical services to clients. These services are often similar to those provided by registered nurses in a hospital. The high demand of this job is partially related to an increasingly aging population which requires more healthcare providers.
The second and third fastest-growing jobs are Wind Turbine Service Technicians, with a 44.3% job growth rate, and Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers, with a 40.5% job growth rate.
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Word processors and typists occupations are the fastest shrinking jobs, with a job growth rate of -38.2%
Unfortunately, two-thirds of those currently working in this field may be laid off over the next ten years. This is mostly due to the job being automated.
The second fast-shrinking job in the United States are Parking Enforcement Workers, with a -37.1% job growth rate.
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The total number of jobs in the U.S. is expected to reach 166.5 million by 2031.
That’s around 8.4 million more jobs than the current 158.1 million today. As mentioned previously, this increase is less than the 20.5 million job increase between 2010-2020.
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The fastest growing and lowest paying job is The fastest growing and lowest paying job, with a growth rate of 40.5%.
Other fast-growing but low-paying jobs include Fast food & Counter Workers (15%) and Bartenders (32.5%). All three of these jobs have average median salaries of less than $25,000 per year.
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The fastest growing and highest paying job is Nurse practitioners, with a growth rate of 45.7%.
This job pays a considerable $120,680 per year. Other fast-growing and high-paying career options include Physician assistants (27.6%) and Software Developers (22.5%). All three of these jobs have average median salaries of $110,000 or more.
Fastest-Growing Jobs in America 2021-2031
| Job | % Projected Job Growth Between 2021-2031 | Median Annual Wage In 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Practitioner | 45.7 | $120,680 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technician | 44.3 | $56,260 |
| Usher, Lobby Attendant, & Ticket Taker | 40.5 | $24,440 |
| Motion Picture Projectionist | 40.3 | $29,350 |
| Restaurant Cook | 36.6 | $30,010 |
| Data Scientist | 35.8 | $100,910 |
| Athletes and sports competitors | 35.7 | $77,300 |
| Information security analysts | 34.7 | $102,600 |
| Statisticians | 32.7 | $95,570 |
| Umpires, referees, and other sports officials | 31.7 | $35,860 |
| Web developers | 30.3 | $77,030 |
Fastest-Shrinking Jobs in America 2021-2031
| Job | % Projected Job Growth Between 2021-2031 | Median Annual Wage In 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Word processors and typists | -38.2 | $44,030 |
| Parking enforcement workers | -37.1 | $46,590 |
| Cutters and trimmers, hand | -28.4 | $30,230 |
| Nuclear power reactor operators | -26.8 | $104,260 |
| Print binding and finishing workers | -24.8 | $36,590 |
| Watch and clock repairers | -24.7 | $44,250 |
| Data entry keyers | -24.7 | $35,630 |
| Telephone operators | -24.5 | $37,630 |
| Switchboard operators, including answering service | -24.0 | $30,150 |
| Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles | -23.4 | $40,670 |
Job Growth Statistics By State
Every U.S. state has different industries and uses its autonomy to make different decisions. With that in mind, where you live can profoundly affect overall job growth. When it comes to job growth by state, here are some insights our research uncovered:
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Nevada has the fastest job growth rate of any state, reaching 5.1% across the board.
Part of this growth can be attributed to massive growth in the clean energy sector, as the state has seen a 38.9% increase in clean energy jobs. For context, Louisiana has the second-highest growth rate in the sector, only 11.6%.
The states with the second and third highest job growth are Hawaii, with a 7.73% job growth rate, and California, with a 7.62% job growth rate.
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West Virginia has the lowest job growth rate of any state, at only 0.4% across the board.
The main reasons for this low growth include fewer people per job, an industry focus around mining and food production, and policies lack of unemployment during the pandemic.
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California has seen the most job growth, with 1.2 million added between 2021 and 2022.
The states with the second and third highest number of new jobs include Texas, which has seen 702,800 new jobs, and New York, which has seen 497,900 new jobs. These states have some of the highest populations in the country, so the amount of new jobs isn’t necessarily surprising.
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Alaska has had the least new jobs added, at only 5,600 between 2021 and 2022.
The states with the second and third-lowest number of new jobs added include South Dakota, with only 7,900 new jobs, and Delaware, with only 8,700 new jobs. Interestingly, none of these states have the lowest population, as that title belongs to Wyoming.
States With the Highest Projected Job Growth Rate 2021-2031
| State | % of Job Growth (2021-2031) | Projected # of New Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 5.1 | 74,700 |
| Florida | 4.6 | 427,400 |
| Texas | 4.6 | 611,400 |
| Hawaii | 4.0 | 24,400 |
| Washington | 3.5 | 122,500 |
| Tennessee | 3.2 | 103,300 |
| Utah | 3.2 | 103,300 |
| Alaska | 3.1 | 9,700/td> |
| Tennessee | 3.0 | 24,900 |
| North Carolina | 3.0 | 144,100 |
States With the Lowest Projected Job Growth Rate 2021-2031
| State | % of Job Growth (2021-2031) | Projected # of New Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| West Virginia | 0.4 | 2,500 |
| Maryland | 0.7 | 18,200 |
| Ohio | 1.4 | 77,800 |
| Iowa | 1.5 | 22,800 |
| Mississippi | 1.5 | 17,600 |
| Colorado | 1.6 | 46,700 |
| Connecticut | 1.7 | 28,700 |
| District of Columbia | 1.7 | 13,000 |
| Wisconsin | 1.7 | 50,300 |
| Louisiana | 1.9 | 35,500 |
Job Growth Statistics By Historic Numbers
Job growth may seem like a steady incline, but that’s far from the case. While the number of overall jobs tends to increase, month to month and year to year numbers rise and fall. According to our research:
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April 2020 saw the highest decline in new jobs since 2015, with 20.49 million jobs lost.
This month marked the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with it came massive job losses. March 2020 also wasn’t ideal, with 1.5 million jobs lost. These months stand out like a sore thumb amongst relatively stable job growth before 2020.
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June 2020 saw the highest increase in new jobs since 2015, with 4.51 million new jobs added.
While this is an intense boom of jobs, it only makes up a fraction of the jobs lost during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is worth noting that the number of new jobs per month has been much higher post-April 2020 than it was pre-April 2020.
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Between January 2019 and January 2020, 2.3 million new jobs were added to the job market.
Historically, this number was rather consistent, as the previous year (2018-2019) saw an increase of 2.28 million new jobs added to the market. In fact, growth from 2016 to 2020 was fairly consistent until the pandemic hit.
Job Growth Statistics By Industry and Sector
Job growth can also vary by sector, especially because the COVID-19 pandemic more or less impacted different sectors. With that in mind, here are some facts about job growth by sector:
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In February 2022, the Leisure & Hospitality sector has gained the most new jobs, totaling 179,000.
While this is considerably more jobs than any other sector, it’s also worth noting that the Leisure and Hospitality sector also saw the most job losses during the pandemic. The sector is seeing such large job growth now because it’s recovering, as the sector is still down by 9% today.
Other sectors that have seen a large increase in available jobs in February 2022 include Education & Health Services (112,000) and Professional & Business Services (95,000).
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In February 2022, the Information and Utility sectors were the only sectors with no new jobs.
These sectors weren’t as affected by the pandemic as other jobs, seeing no significant increase or decrease in the number of jobs available.
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The Leisure & Hospitality sector has lost 1.5 million jobs since 2020, which is considerably more than any other sector.
The sectors that saw the second and third-worst declines in job numbers during the pandemic include the Government sector, which lost 681,000 jobs, and Education & Health Services sector, which lost 514,000 jobs.
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The Professional & Business Services sector has grown the most despite the pandemic, with 596,000 new jobs.
The sectors that saw the second and third highest increase in job numbers during the pandemic include the Transportation & Warehousing sector, which gained 584,000 jobs, and the Retail Services sector, which gained 104,000 jobs.
Job Growth Statistics By Recent Numbers
The number of jobs and job growth has indeed started to recover since 2020. Now in 2022, most industries (even the ones hit hardest by the pandemic) are seeing positive job growth. According to our research:
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In September 2022, 263,000 jobs were gained.
While this is a 61% decrease in the number of new jobs created compared to February 2022, the U.S. is still slowly recovering from the pandemic. Because 20.5 million jobs were lost in April 2020 alone, we only just surpassed the number of jobs available pre-pandemic in September 2022.
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As of September 2022, the number of jobs available in the U.S. is up 9.5% from pre-COVID numbers.
We’ve finally caught up to pre-COVID job numbers, plus extra 190,000 jobs as of September 2022. Certainly a vast improvement over the net loss of 8.7 million jobs between 2020 and 2021.
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As of 2022, unemployment levels are only 0.3% off from reaching pre-COVID levels.
The current unemployment rate is 3.8% or 6.3 million people. That’s getting closer to the numbers in February 2020, when unemployment was 3.5% (5.7 million people). For context, unemployment in April 2020 reached 14.7%!
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As of 2020, 64.8% of the U.S. population was of working age.
For comparison, the country with the largest percentage is Saudi Arabia, with 72.4% of the population of working age. On the opposite end, Japan has the lowest percentage, with only 59.3% of their working-age population.
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Those between the ages of 25-34 make up the largest portion of working-age adults in the U.S., at 22.7% of the working-age population.
The second most prominent age range is those between 35-44, who make up 21.1% of the working-age population. However, by 2030, this demographic will likely overtake their younger counterparts, as the U.S. population is aging (having fewer children).
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Those aged 16-24 make up the smallest portion of working-age adults in the U.S., at only 12.6% of the working-age population.
The second most sparse age range is those between 55-64, who make up 17% of the working-age population. These numbers aren’t necessarily surprising, as those without experience are less likely to land jobs, and older demographics are more likely to retire.
Job Growth Statistics By the Pandemic
With a loss of over 20 million jobs in April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted job growth in the U.S. Even though things are slowly starting to turn around, the country has a long way to go. According to our research:
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13.5 million workers have been hit by the COVID-19 downturn as of February 2022.
Broken down further, that equates to 6.3 million officially unemployed, 3.4 million misclassified as employed but not in the workforce, 2.9 million who’ve dropped out of the workforce, and 2.5 million who are employed but have experience cuts to pay and hours.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. has experienced a job growth shortfall of 9 million jobs.
Without the pandemic, 6.9 million new jobs could have been added to the job market between January 2019 and February 2022. Instead, we’re still behind 2.1 million jobs from January 2019 numbers.
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Between January 2020 and January 2021, the U.S. saw a net loss of 8.7 million jobs.
While there has been job recovery since April 2020, only around half of the jobs lost, have been recovered. Instead, semi-periodic losses due to the pandemic can still be seen.
Job Growth Statistics FAQ
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What is the average growth rate for jobs?
The average growth rate for jobs is typically between 5-8%. That means the predicted growth rate of 5.3% between 2021-2031 is stable and highlights just how massive a 60-80% job growth rate truly is.
For example, if a field has 50,000 jobs currently available and a job growth rate of 6%, that field would see an increase of 3,000 jobs. However, the same field with a 70% growth rate would see a massive increase of 35,000 jobs.
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What job has the highest growth rate?
Nurse practitioners have the highest job growth rate, at 45.7% over the next ten years. Nurse practitioners identify and carry out treatments in medical situations, conduct research and examinations through several tests, assess data and outcomes, and collate tests from patients.
With a growing aging population, along with new standards in preventive healthcare, nurse practitioners are high demand.
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Jobs hit hardest by automation are the main ones currently declining. Word processors and typists occupations are the fastest shrinking jobs, with a job growth rate of -38.2%
Unfortunately, two-thirds of those currently working in this field may be laid off over the next ten years because the job is automated.
Other fast-shrinking jobs include Respiratory Therapy Technicians, with a -56% job growth rate, and Parking Enforcement Workers, with a -35% job growth rate.
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What job will always be in demand?
In general, jobs in the healthcare and IT industry will always be in high demand. On the healthcare side, nurse practitioners saw a health job growth of 8.1% before the pandemic, and now job growth for the field is up to 52.2% between 2020-2030.
Many tech jobs are also regularly in high demand due to supply and demand. There are always jobs available in this field, but not everyone can tackle learning code. That’s why jobs in this field, such as software developers, have a projected job growth rate of 22.2%.
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Yes, 8% job growth is good, as it’s at the top end of average. While it might not be as crazy at a 70% job growth rate, an 8% rate can easily net a field hundred or thousands of new jobs, depending on the current jobs available.
For example, if a job currently has 30,000 jobs available, an 8% growth rate would result in 2,400 new jobs.
Conclusion
Job growth in the U.S. was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 20 million jobs lost in April 2020 alone. While things have begun to recover, we’re still facing a net loss of 8.7 million jobs as of February 2022.
Luckily though, job growth is projected to remain positive from 2021-2031, at 5.3%. Some jobs, like Motion Picture Projectionists, Wind Turbine Service Technicians, Ushers, Lobby Attendants, & Ticket Takers, even have growth rates higher than 30%.
Overall, the country has a long way to go before fully recovering from the 2020 job loss, but things are heading in a positive direction.
Sources
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BLS. “Employment Projections: 2010-20 News Release.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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BLS. “Fastest Growing Occupations.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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CNBC. “Here are the 15 jobs disappearing the fastest in the US.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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The Balance. “Jobs Report and the Monthly Employment Growth Statistics.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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ASU. “Job Growth by State.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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EPI. “Jobs and unemployment.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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BLS. “The Employment Situation.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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OECD. “Working age population.” Accessed on March 15th, 2022.
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BLS. “ Hours, and Earnings from the Current Employment Statistics survey (National).” Accessed on April 3rd, 2023.
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BLS. “ Fastest growing occupations.” Accessed on April 3rd, 2023.
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BLS. “ Employment Projections.” Accessed on April 3rd, 2023.
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BLS. “ State and Metro Area Employment, Hours, & Earnings.” Accessed on April 3rd, 2023.
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
