The U.S. labor market is bracing for a decade of slower overall growth, but a handful of industries and occupations are set to expand at a breakneck pace, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. From 2025 to 2035, total employment will edge up by 5.9 million jobs to 176.2 million, representing growth of just 3.5%—a fraction of the 10.9% pace during the prior decade. As the AI boom continues to ripple through the economy, the utility industry is expected to hire at the fastest rate, growing employment by 9.8%.
Nearly all the job growth is expected from electric power generation, transmission, and distribution due to increasing demand for electricity, including artificial intelligence power demands. Within that category, solar electric power generation will see a 153% increase, and wind electric power generation up 62%. The healthcare and social assistance industry will expand employment by 2.2 million over the next decade, making it the second-fastest hiring sector with a 9.5% growth rate and accounting for 37% of all new jobs created through 2035.
Strong employment growth is expected due to the aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Nurse practitioners will see a 41% surge in employment, while medical and health services managers will jump 24%. The professional, scientific, and technical services industry is projected to be the third-fastest growing sector, up 8.6%, and add 926,700 jobs.
Data scientists are expected to grow by 34.6%, and computer and information research scientists by 21.8%. Although AI adoption will support demand for some occupations, productivity gains may dampen employment in others, such as office and administrative support (a 4% drop) and sales-related roles (a 1.4% decline).
Source: Fortune
