Article: Five fast-disappearing jobs

Recruitment

Five fast-disappearing jobs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 17 percent of 818 occupations that are monitored will lose more workers than they add until 2026. Here's a short list of few of the fast-disappearing jobs.
Five fast-disappearing jobs

Automation, globalization, digitization and the advent of Industry 4.0 has resulted in a phenomenon where many of the traditional and conventional job roles are set to slowly disappear. 

Repetitive tasks can be automated, thus freeing up much of the preoccupied mindspace and physical energy which can then be used to unlearn, relearn, and upskill the workforce. This is easier said than done. Humans are a species who become the best at their work with practice. They develop knowledge, they build on the expertise over the years. However, along with the ebb and flow of the economy, job seekers and workers must also face the music of automation and digitalization that is impacting the way we work--and the very fabric of our society. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 17 percent of 818 occupations that are monitored will lose more workers than they add until 2026. Metal and plastic machine workers, typists, postmasters, etc are the job roles that are expected to disappear in the next decade. 

Parking police officers

These are the parking police officers who are assigned to a particular area to monitor whether the cars parked have overstayed their welcome in the parking spot. This job role is increasingly being replaced by parking meters and automatic computer systems wherein the particular car’s license plate number and details are sent to the road transport authorities and a ticket or fine is issued directly to the owner’s account. 

Taxi dispatcher or taxi stands

With the popularity of apps such as Uber, Ola, rising faster than ever before, the demand for taxi dispatchers is dwindling. Now that taxis can be called at the click of a button, the need to walk over to a taxi stand or call a cab company to book you a car has become almost non-existent. Come 2026, it is likely that this job role would have disappeared and been replaced by a bot. 

Travel agent 

This is one of the jobs that has been impacted by digitization seeping into different aspects of various industries. There used to be a time when only a travel agent could guide you and create a holiday itinerary for you. Now, times have changed. People have become more independent and like going through multiple options (read websites) before they decide on their itinerary for travel--be it for leisure or business. 

Typists 

Now that typing and texting on the phone has entered every person’s life, the need for an individual who will type out paper documents to save digitally has reduced drastically. Most of the documents, records, and important “papers” are now created electronically and stored digitally. If needed, one can access it from the cloud and take a print out. Typists are now learning new skills such as building up their organizational prowess and contributing to the office spaces on a larger scale with their new expertise.

Car-radio installers 

Once upon a time, every car needed an external radio system to be added in. With in-built GPS systems and music-systems being a part of the crucial selling point in today’s cars, the necessity of a car-radio installer is going away. As automakers move towards sophisticated car designs and electric vehicles, the job of a car-radio installer is going to transform. 

Inspite of these fast-disappearing jobs of 2019, there is employment in other sectors and job roles that are a version of the traditional ones but just with a few added technological components. 

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment rates were lower in October 2019 in metropolitan areas as compared to a year earlier. 

The Computers, Engineering, Science, and Math sector is most likely to have the largest number of openings (about 705,200 on an average) going forward with computer and information technology sphere leading from the front and software developers coming in a close second. 

This group also happens to be the one where each of the 71 occupations is projected to earn an annual wage that is more than the median wage for all workers. 

When looking at the Construction, Production, Repair, and Farming sector, the average number of earnings are expected to be up to a total of 2 million, annually. Construction laborers and helpers are the ones who will see the most openings (about 216,000), followed by assemblers and fabricators. 

About half of the 1.4 million annual average openings in the Education, Protective Service, Social Service, and Legal spectrum of jobs are expected to be in the education, training, and library groups. At the same time, security guards and gaming surveillance officers is the umbrella of different occupations that is projected to generate the most number of openings i.e. about 155,200 every year. 

In the Food, Media, Entertainment, and Arts occupation, it is expected that there will be about 2.7 million job openings every year until 2028 with the food and beverage serving and related workers having the most openings as compared to any other occupation--more than 1.1 million annually. 

According to the latest report from McKinsey Global Institute on Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation, while there might be enough work to maintain full employment up until 2030, automation and the advent of technological shifts will bring in major changes that would pose some challenges that have only been seen during the agricultural revolution and the first industrial revolution. 

Wrapping up

We’ve compiled a short list of a few of the fast-disappearing jobs! We’d really like to get your suggestions and your lists of fast-disappearing jobs in 2019. Do let us know in the comments section! 

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Topics: Recruitment, #Jobs, #Work & Skills

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