The employment landscape is constantly shifting. While agricultural jobs played a big role in the 19th century, a large portion of jobs today are in administration, sales, or transportation, and this is changing rapidly. As the composition of employment shifts, it eliminates some jobs and creates others. Structural changes in the economy will cause some jobs to decline quite quickly. In all cases, automation is likely the biggest culprit. For example, software that automatically converts audio to text will reduce the need for typists.
Here are the top 20 fastest declining jobs in the world.
Rank | Occupation | % employment change |
1. | Word processors and typists | -36.00% |
2. | Parking enforcement workers | -35.00% |
3. | Nuclear power reactor operators | -32.90% |
4. | Cutters and trimmers, hand | -29.70% |
5. | Telephone operators | -25.40% |
6. | Watch and clock repairers | -24.90% |
7. | Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers | -24.10% |
8. | Switchboard operators, including answering service | -22.70% |
9. | Data entry keyers | -22.50% |
10. | Shoe machine operators and tenders | -21.60% |
11. | Legal secretaries and administrative assistants | -21.00% |
12. | Floral designers | -20.10% |
13. | Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants | -18.70% |
14. | Manufactured building and mobile home installers | -18.40% |
15. | Telemarketers | -18.30% |
16. | Order clerks | -18.20% |
17. | Timing device assemblers and adjusters | -17.80% |
18. | Print binding and finishing workers | -17.50% |
19. | Prepress technicians and workers | -17.10% |
20. | Tellers | -16.90% |
