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Data on display
Effects of the pandemic on projected employment in selected industries, 2019–29

Elka Torpey | February 2021

For nearly a year, the COVID–19 pandemic has altered the employment landscape. Which industries might continue to see its impact over the coming decade?

The chart answers that question with data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data show the potential effects of the pandemic on employment through 2029, with each bar in the chart representing the difference between an industry’s baseline (pre-pandemic) and alternate (pandemic-related) rates of employment change.

BLS developed alternate projections scenarios to analyze how pandemic-related circumstances are expected to affect long-term employment. These alternate projections assume that the pandemic creates structural changes to the future job market in some industries. As data in the chart suggest, for example, the continued need for medical treatments and vaccines may spur demand for workers in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, while a greater prevalence of telework may negatively affect employment in office building construction.

The data in the chart are based on the moderate-impact scenario. The alternate sets of projections are not intended as precise estimates of employment change over the 2019–29 decade; instead, they identify industries in which employment is subject to the most pandemic-related uncertainty.

More information about the alternate projections, including the scenario that assumes a strong impact, is available from the Employment Projections program.