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Occupations with the largest job declines

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Table 1.6 Occupations with the largest job declines, 2018 and projected 2028
(Numbers in thousands)

2018 National Employment Matrix title and code

Employment

Change, 2018–28

Median annual wage, 2018(1)

2018

2028

Number

Percent

Total, all occupations

00-0000

161,037.7

169,435.9

8,398.1

5.2

$38,640

Secretaries and administrative assistants, except legal, medical, and executive

43-6014

2,382.5

2,170.0

-212.5

-8.9

$36,630

Assemblers and fabricators, all other, including team assemblers

51-2098

1,379.4

1,217.0

-162.4

-11.8

$31,540

Cashiers

41-2011

3,648.5

3,509.8

-138.7

-3.8

$22,430

Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants

43-6011

622.5

499.4

-123.0

-19.8

$59,340

Office clerks, general

43-9061

3,158.5

3,047.8

-110.6

-3.5

$32,730

Retail salespersons

41-2031

4,510.9

4,409.1

-101.9

-2.3

$24,200

Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers

51-9061

574.0

473.1

-100.9

-17.6

$38,250

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks

43-3031

1,707.7

1,641.9

-65.8

-3.9

$40,240

Postal service mail carriers

43-5052

328.7

263.7

-65.1

-19.8

$55,210

Tellers

43-3071

472.1

414.3

-57.8

-12.2

$29,450

Customer service representatives

43-4051

2,972.6

2,921.0

-51.6

-1.7

$33,750

Data entry keyers

43-9021

187.3

143.9

-43.4

-23.2

$32,170

Cooks, fast food

35-2011

491.3

453.2

-38.1

-7.7

$22,330

Legal secretaries

43-6012

180.1

142.5

-37.6

-20.9

$46,360

Buyers and purchasing agents

13-1020

432.2

400.2

-32.0

-7.4

$62,750

Correctional officers and jailers

33-3012

434.3

402.9

-31.4

-7.2

$44,330

First-line supervisors of retail sales workers

41-1011

1,548.3

1,518.1

-30.2

-1.9

$39,630

Telemarketers

41-9041

167.7

139.8

-27.8

-16.6

$25,250

Maids and housekeeping cleaners

37-2012

1,494.4

1,469.0

-25.4

-1.7

$23,770

Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators

43-5053

99.7

76.0

-23.7

-23.8

$58,770

Packers and packagers, hand

53-7064

673.4

650.0

-23.4

-3.5

$24,580

Printing press operators

51-5112

175.7

154.9

-20.8

-11.8

$36,220

Word processors and typists

43-9022

60.4

40.0

-20.4

-33.8

$39,750

Bill and account collectors

43-3011

258.0

238.6

-19.4

-7.5

$36,020

Sewing machine operators

51-6031

151.6

133.5

-18.1

-11.9

$25,030

Computer programmers

15-1131

250.3

232.3

-17.9

-7.2

$84,280

Switchboard operators, including answering service

43-2011

73.4

55.9

-17.5

-23.8

$29,420

Hotel, motel, and resort desk clerks

43-4081

265.4

248.7

-16.7

-6.3

$23,700

Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic

51-4031

188.8

172.8

-16.0

-8.5

$34,460

File clerks

43-4071

116.9

101.1

-15.7

-13.5

$31,700

Footnotes:
  (1) Data are from the Occupational Employment Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wage data cover non-farm wage and salary workers and do not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, or household workers.
Source: Employment Projections program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Last Modified Date: September 4, 2019