The scope of today’s job market is incredibly vast. Industries continue to specialize more and more as some die and others are invented. It then can be really hard to keep track. Even for those about to enter the job market, understanding what one is getting into is challenging. Before getting into the exact industries, it’s important to understand the general changes in the job market.
Shift to Remote Work
COVID-19 and the pandemic that ensued were world-changing events. Entire industries were born and died, daily life was completely morphed, and fear took hold. Remote work rose to popularity out of necessity at the time. And while it is no longer needed today, its popularity has not declined.
Suddenly people realized the value of remote work. No commuting, more time with one’s family, more time to work on what actually matters. For some businesses, it just made sense to be remote. Today 91% of people are happier with flexible hours and the option to work remotely. It is a shift that wasn’t expected but isn’t going away.
The other major shift in the job market comes in culture. Workers today aren’t looking to work 9-5’s, especially in menial conditions. Instead, comfort, understanding, and flexibility are much more desired. Businesses are moving away from hierarchy, are moving away from harsh regulations. Instead, wellness is prioritized, treating workers as people, not just machines.
Industries and Jobs in Demand
Looking at the growing industries, a somewhat different picture is painted. While some of the fastest-growing industries are not surprising, software developer and marketing analyst jobs are projected to grow massively. Others are much more surprising.
Home health aide jobs, for example, are with the most projected growth. Holding a median salary of only $29,430, health aides are predicted to have almost a million new jobs by 2031. Fast food workers, in comparison, have a median salary of $25,100. However, they’re only predicted to have 243,200 new jobs by 2031.
In general, more menial work and low-skill jobs are on the rise, such as freight and material movers, stockers, and order fillers. There are jobs with more qualifications, like nurses, cooks, and operation managers. However, a very large percentage are these smaller menial labor jobs.
This goes against a lot of the larger-scale culture shifts. It also goes against a lot of the expectations of today. For many, the idea was fast-food, movers, and even waitresses would be replaced by now. Automation is very pervasive today, but it’s not all-encompassing. And even automation requires upkeep and quality assurance in many cases.
This puts the future of the job market in an interesting place. The subset of jobs growing the most are the ones people do not want. And while some high-skill and high-pay jobs are growing. Many of these fit within the same niche of being technology and operations adjacent. This leaves a lot of people stranded job-wise. In a world where the 9-5 isn’t even respected, job diversity is king.
Bringing it All Together
The future of the job market ultimately lies outside of most citizens’ hands. What each person can do, though, is be aware and stay knowledgeable about the shifts and changes. Remote work, culture, and job growth are all great things to know about. And they’re only going to continue to change, maybe even more rapidly. This is the future of the modern job market.
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Brian Wallace is a Columnist at Grit Daily. He is an entrepreneur, writer, and podcast host. He is the Founder and President of NowSourcing and has been featured in Forbes, TIME, and The New York Times. Brian previously wrote for Mashable and currently writes for Hacker Noon, CMSWire, Business 2 Community, and more. His Next Action podcast features entrepreneurs trying to get to the next level. Brian also hosts #LinkedInLocal events all over the country, promoting the use of LinkedIn among professionals wanting to grow their careers.
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