America's Disappearing Jobs

With correspondence and communication as well as the transfer of documents increasingly done online, the volume of mail has dramatically fallen in the last two decades. In 2001, the U.S. Postal Service processed nearly 103.7 billion pieces of first class mail. Since then, volume has fallen every year, and as of 2019, the USPS processed just 54.9 billion pieces of first class mail, a low not seen since the 1970s.

Lower volume will likely translate to budget cuts. Employment for mail carriers is projected to decline by 19.8% over the decade between 2018 and 2028.

Like mail carriers, employment for postal clerks is projected to decline by nearly 20% through 2028. In addition to steady year-over-year declines in mail volume, which will likely cut into the USPS budget, the Postal Service is also increasingly relying on programmable software that is supplanting the jobs of postal clerks. The USPS is also now rivaled by private companies, including UPS and FedEx.

The number of executive secretaries and administrative assistants working in the U.S. is projected to decline by 19.8%, from 622,500 in 2018 to fewer than 500,000 by 2028. The likely employment decline is attributable to increased reliance on computer software and artificial intelligence that can be leveraged to carry out many tasks that have traditionally been handled by secretaries and assistants, such as scheduling and document preparation.

Americans working in this occupation operate and set up machines used for drilling and boring into plastic or metal work pieces. Over the decade ending with 2028, the number of people working in the occupation nationwide is projected to decline by 20.5% to just 9,200.

Like so many other jobs on this list, automation is the driving force behind this occupation’s employment decline. Manufacturers are increasingly relying on CNC and other automated, programmable machines to reduce costs.

Americans working in this occupation operate and set up machines used for milling and planing into plastic or metal work pieces. As is the case in professions throughout much of the manufacturing sector, jobs in this occupation are being supplanted by automated and programmable computers and machines. As of 2018, 19,800 Americans were working in this occupation. By 2028, that number is projected to fall to 15,700.

The decline in manufacturing jobs is significant in part because the sector provided middle class wages to Americans at different levels of education. The median annual wage for those working as milling and planing machine setters and operators is $43,210, higher than the median wage of $39,810 across all occupations.

Prepress technicians and workers are responsible for formatting and proofing images and texts before publishing, either in digital or print, in industries such as book publishing, newspaper publishing, or advertising. As improvements in technology increase the efficiency of these workers, employment in the field is projected to decline considerably in the coming years. Between 2018 and 2028, the number of Americans working as prepress technicians is projected to drop by 20.8%.

Legal secretaries act as assistance to attorneys, preparing legal documents and often assisting in research. Between 2018 and 2028, the number of Americans working as legal secretaries is projected to decline by 20.9%. The decline will likely come as improved technology would allow lawyers and paralegals to easily incorporate the duties of legal secretaries.

Pressers straighten and iron clothing and other textiles. As formal office attire like suits becomes less commonly required, the services from pressers are less in demand, and there are projected to be 21.2% fewer pressers in 2028 than there were in 2018.

Like many other disappearing jobs, working as a presser requires no formal education, and just 53.1% of workers in the field have a high school diploma, one of the lowest shares of any job. Career fields with low or no education requirements do not typically pay well, and pressers are no exception — most pressers make less than $24,200 per year.

Photographic process workers and processing machine operators typically develop film photographs or edit digital photos. As of 2018, there were 17,100 people working in the occupation in the U.S. By 2028, that number is projected to decline to 13,400. Demand for these workers is projected to fall in the coming years as improved technology increasingly makes it easier for people to edit and print their own photographs.

Coil winders, tapers, and finishers work with wire coils used in electric equipment. Employment in the field is expected to be impacted by advances in technology that will allow companies to improve output with fewer workers. The increased efficiency is projected to cut the number of Americans working in the occupation from 12,300 in 2018 down to 9,700 from in 2028.

Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers manufacture airplanes or spacecraft and their parts. Like many occupations in the manufacturing sector, aircraft assembly will require fewer laborers in the coming years as technological advancements improve efficiency in production plants. There were 45,100 Americans working in the occupation in 2018. By 2028, that number is projected to fall to 35,200.

Data entry keyers are typically responsible for inputting data into computer systems and looking for data errors. The decline in demand for the job will be fueled in part by improved software that will be able to automatically input data. Other technological improvements will also increase efficiency of data input, and similar output will be achievable with fewer workers. The number of Americans working as data entry keyers is projected to decline by 23.2% from 2018 to 2028.

Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators is one of several occupations associated with the USPS to rank on this list. Since peaking in 2001, the volume of first class mail has declined by about 47% in the United States. Additionally, improved technology in sorting machines and mail trackers will continue to supplant the need for workers in this occupation. From 2018 to 2028, the number of Americans employed as mail sorters and processors will decline 23.8%.

Switchboard operators relay calls through telephone systems. There are projected to be 17,500 fewer operators in the U.S. over the next decade as more businesses begin to utilize automated phone systems, video calls, and other alternatives. The median annual wage of switchboard operators is $30,610 — over $9,000 below the overall U.S. median annual wage.

While many jobs involve the use of computers, the computer operator occupation is a specific job that involves monitoring and controlling computer and data processing equipment and responding to error messages. This occupation is quickly becoming a relic of the past, however, as improved technology is automating many duties of computer operators, resulting in reduced need for such workers. Between 2018 and 2028, the number of Americans working in the field will fall by 24.1%.

Shuttle car operators in coal mines are becoming less necessary as the industry is increasingly relying on autonomous vehicles. Coal production is also declining in the U.S. in favor of more environmentally friendly alternatives. Between 2014 and 2019 alone, U.S. coal production fell from about 1 billion short tons to fewer than 750 million. The number of Americans working as mine shuttle car operators in coal mines is projected to fall from 1,700 in 2018 to 1,300 in 2028.

Postmasters and mail superintendents are charged with managing specific post office branches. As post office locations close around the country due to declining in mail volume, there will be a reduced need for postmasters. In 2018, 13,300 Americans were working as postmasters or mail superintendents. That number is projected to decline by 27.5% by 2028.

Most of the jobs that are disappearing are relatively low paying, but postmasters and mail superintendents are a notable exception. The median annual wage for the position is $76,900, more than every other job on this list and nearly double the $39,810 median across all occupations.

Cutters and trimmers use tools to cut items like fabric, glass, rubber, and more. The job is projected to lose over 28% of positions from 2018 to 2028 as machinery gets more precise and efficient.

Most jobs require at least a high school diploma, but cutters, in most cases, do not need any formal education. Just 70.8% of cutters have a high school diploma as compared to 91.6% of all workers. Just 3.4% of those in the occupation have a college degree — less than a 10th of the share of all workers with at least a bachelor’s degree.

Telephone operators assist customers with accessing directories, billing inquiries, and emergency calls. Demand for these workers is projected to decline precipitously in the coming years as companies increasingly rely on automated telephone systems.

Like many jobs on this list, telephone operators are not required to have much in the way of formal education. Only 15.2% of workers in the occupation have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Workers who install and repair electrical equipment in motor vehicles — such as audio systems, security systems, or navigation equipment — will be in far less demand in the coming years. Employment in the field is projected to decline by 28.6% over the decade leading up to 2028 as smartphones and factory-installed components make such workers less necessary.

Watch repair is a dying profession in the United States. As smartphones have become ubiquitous — and smartwatches have been increasing in popularity — Americans have become less reliant on traditional watches. The number of people who work in watch repair is projected to fall from 3,000 to just 2,100 from 2018 to 2028.

Though watch repair does not require much in the way of formal education, it is a highly skilled job that requires long-term on-the-job training.

Typists are in one of just four career fields that are projected to lose over a third of their 2018 employment by 2028 — declining from 60,400 workers in the occupation to 40,000. Typists will not be required in as many offices, as virtually all younger workers coming into the job market are already proficient with computer keyboards and will be able to do their own typing.

Most typists earned more than $40,000 per year in 2019, slightly more than the $39,810 median annual wage across all occupations in the country that year.

Parking enforcement workers patrol an assigned area, such as city streets or public and private parking lots, and issue tickets to illegally parked vehicles. As of 2018, about 8,600 Americans worked in parking enforcement. However, as cities increasingly adopt automated systems such as license plate readers demand for parking enforcement workers will decline. By 2028, the BLS projects there will be only 5,400 Americans working in the occupation.