5 Jobs That May Nearly Disappear by the Next Decade

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Another 173,000 jobs were added to the economy in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest unemployment report.

That number reflects continued job growth — enough to bring the jobless rate down to 5.1 percent, the lowest it’s been since 2008.

And job growth is projected to continue, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics expecting all occupations to grow by more than 10 percent between 2012 and 2022, MarketWatch reports.

Some occupations face bleaker futures than others, however, due to evolving technology, production methods and communication methods, according to MarketWatch.

Using BLS data, the website identified five jobs “that may come close to disappearing over the next 10 years.”

No. 1 are tree fallers.

Todd Morgan, director of forestry industry research at the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research, tells MarketWatch that logging companies are increasingly relying on machines to cut down trees instead of forestry workers with chainsaws and axes:

“It’s become more equipment intensive than personnel intensive.”

The top five most endangered jobs, according to MarketWatch, are:

  • Forestry workers
  • Shoe machine operators and tenders
  • Semiconductor processors
  • Textile cutting machine setters, operators and tenders
  • Motion picture projectionists

To learn more about these jobs, click the MarketWatch link above.

According to a recent study by economists at financial services firm Deloitte, technology has actually created more jobs than it has eliminated. But it too concluded that routine-based jobs are most vulnerable to a tech takeover.

To learn which jobs Deloitte considered most at risk of disappearing — and which have experienced explosive growth — check out “Are You at Risk of Being Replaced by a Robot?

Which jobs do you think are most at risk of disappearing over the next decade? Let us know what you think below or on our Facebook page.

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