CareerBuilder’s Labor Day Study Reveals 3 Major Forces Shaping the U.S. Job Market
CareerBuilder’s 2016 Labor Day study explores three key drivers of employment changes in the U.S., trends associated with each driver and occupations that are among those benefiting the most.
“There are multiple factors that will influence job growth or deceleration, but most of the major shifts in employment today are tied to lifestyle changes, technology advancement and globalization,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder and co-author of The Talent Equation. “Whether we’re talking about the rise of the sharing economy, the power of smart technology or companies communicating in multiple languages and time zones, these trends are moving the needle on job growth for a wide variety of fields.”
CareerBuilder’s labor market analysis arm Emsi collects and interprets data from more than 100 national and local employment resources. While there are numerous variables that will influence employment shifts, for the purposes of this study, CareerBuilder and Emsi looked at a short list of trends that have played some part in the growth of specific occupations. The following tables highlight trends that fit within the main categories of lifestyle changes, technology advancement and globalization and show how specific occupations have been positively impacted.
|
Lifestyle Changes
|
Occupation
Impacted
|
Current
Number of
Jobs
|
Number of
Jobs Added
2012 to 2016
|
Percentage of
Job Growth
2012 to 2016
|
|
People are choosing to eat out more, giving rise to the “foodie” generation.
|
Cooks, Restaurant
|
1,219,433
|
164,804
|
16%
|
|
More people are embracing the sharing economy. (example: Uber)
|
Taxi Drivers and
Chauffeurs
|
283,175
|
37,023
|
15%
|
|
America is becoming more health-conscious.
|
Fitness Trainers
and Aerobics
Instructors
|
309,519
|
33,303
|
12%
|
|
Families are more careful with finances after the last recession.
|
Personal
Financial
Advisors
|
257,493
|
29,913
|
13%
|
|
More people are choosing to bank and shop online.
|
Information
Security Analysts
|
86,563
|
9,342
|
12%
|
|
Couples are postponing having children until later in life.
|
Obstetricians and
Gynecologists
|
25,219
|
1,082
|
4%
|
|
Technology Advancement
|
Occupation
Impacted
|
Current
Number of
Jobs
|
Number of
Jobs Added
2012 to 2016
|
Percentage of
Job Growth
2012 to 2016
|
|
There’s an “app” for everything and “smart” technology is moving beyond phones to clothes, homes and more.
|
Software
Developers,
Applications
|
772,195
|
112,045
|
17%
|
|
Technology has made advertising become more intuitive and effective based on ability to track and interpret online behavior.
|
Marketing
Managers
|
208,611
|
19,024
|
10%
|
|
Technology has become ingrained in everyday life and is how people stay connected.
|
Computer User
Support Specialists
|
665,646
|
63,849
|
11%
|
|
Technology is catching health disorders sooner and extending lives.
|
Medical Records
and Health
Information
Technicians
|
198,831
|
14,451
|
8%
|
|
Technology is enabling companies to corral and interpret big data to make better business decisions.
|
Database
Administrators
|
120,476
|
9,794
|
9%
|
|
Technology is integrated into countless consumer and business products with new offerings and iterations released all the time.
|
Technical Writers
|
55,129
|
5,381
|
11%
|
|
Globalization
|
Occupation
Impacted
|
Current
Number of
Jobs
|
Number of
Jobs Added
2012 to 2016
|
Percentage of
Job Growth
2012 to 2016
|
|
Companies are serving customers in different time zones, meaning workers are needed at all hours.
|
Customer Service
Representatives
|
2,674,925
|
225,910
|
9%
|
|
Companies are looking to gain a greater understanding of international markets they’re targeting.
|
Market Research
Analysts
|
532,336
|
67,551
|
15%
|
|
Expanding beyond borders is requiring communication in different languages.
|
Interpreters and
Translators
|
78,455
|
9,845
|
14%
|
|
There is greater emphasis on preserving the global environment.
|
Wind Turbine
Service
Technicians
|
7,061
|
1,889
|
37%
|
|
Maps for mobile phones and navigation systems are in demand as people explore new terrain.
|
Cartographers and
Photogrammetrists
|
13,193
|
1,802
|
16%
|
Students and workers looking for information on careers can get detailed insights at findyourcalling.com or by viewing career profiles under the “Browse Jobs” header on the CareerBuilder homepage.
About Emsi
Emsi is a CareerBuilder company that provides industry-leading employment data and economic analysis via web tools and custom reports. Emsi turns vast amounts of labor market data into easy-to-use information that helps organizations understand the connection between economies, people, and work, and ultimately build a better workforce. Emsi’s software services – Analyst and Career Coach – are used by thousands of professionals in higher education, workforce and economic development, and the private sector.
