Forbes Predicts the Worst Jobs for the 21st Century

While the numbers of jobs in healthcare, education, and financial services are steadily growing, several industries haven't been as lucky. Jobs in manufacturing are predicted to decline 5% by 2014. Office jobs, too, will suffer significant losses (a decline of 36% by 2014), as will meter-maid jobs, manual photo-processing jobs, and sewing machine-operating jobs, as the U.S. moves from

According to Forbes.com, the worst jobs for the 21st century include the following:

• News analysts, reporters, and correspondents—predicted to grow just 5% by 2014
• Economists—predicted to grow just 6% by 2014
• Announcers—predicted to drop by 5% by 2014
• Travel agents—predicted to drop 6% by 2014
• Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers—predicted to decline by less than 1% by 2014
• Farmers and ranchers—predicted to have "the largest numerical decrease of any occupation by 2014-a loss of nearly 146,000 jobs"
• Federal employees—predicted to grow just 1.6% "above 2004 levels" by 2014
• Computer programmers—predicted to grow just 2% from 2004 to 2014
• Insurance agents—predicted to grow just 7% by 2014
• Fishers and fishing—vessel operators-predicted to drop by 17% by 2014

However, according to Anthony Spadafore, the director of the career-counseling company Pathfinders,job seekers should not lose heart. "He says that if people pursue their fields that play to their talents, they'll be able to compete for the top jobs where competition is fierce, even if the industry is diminishing," according to an article on Forbes.com.




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