—NUTSHELL:
Every 2 years, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment prospects for hundreds of occupations in the Occupational Outlook Handbook. This special issue of the Quarterly summarizes that information in a table. The introduction explains the projections process, and the guide tells you how to get the most out of the table that follows.

—SNIPPET:
Some occupations will fare better than others over the 2008–18 decade. Although it’s impossible to predict the future, we can gain insight into job outlook by analyzing trends in population growth, technological advances, and business practices. This insight is helpful in planning a career.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook—published every 2 years by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)—features projections of long-term job growth and employment prospects for nearly 300 occupations. This special issue of the OOQ includes a table summarizing that information so readers can compare occupations at a glance.

Read on to learn what BLS projections mean, why employment is changing, and how BLS makes its projections.

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