Despite slower job growth compared to the last decade, the U.S. economy is expected to add 5.2 million jobs from 2024 to 2034, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest employment projection report. Total employment is projected to grow by 3.1%.
Based on the report, the top-growing industry sectors for 2034 are health care and social assistance and professional, scientific and technical services, which have projected growth rates of 8.4% and 7.5%, respectively.
Within those sectors, the fastest-growing occupational groups are health-care support, which includes roles like nurse practitioner and physician assistant, and computer and mathematical roles, such as data scientist and information security analyst. These groups are expected to grow by 12.4% and 10.1%, respectively.
One of the main reasons that the health-care industry is expected to grow so rapidly is because the American population is aging, according to Emily Krutsch, branch chief at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“That’s really what’s driving that trend: the older population tends to need more of this type of care and services,” she says.
