...decade.

Most these charts show which occupations occupational groups are expected to grow fastest (percent change) or gain the most jobs (numeric change) during the 2004-14 projections decade.

But when it comes to employment prospects, job growth tells only part of the story. Job openings for workers also stem from the need to replace workers who leave an occupation permanently. Two charts show which occupations and occupational groups are expected to have the most openings for workers who are entering the occupation for the first time. These charts show projected openings both from job growth and from replacement needs (the need to replace workers who leave).

Overall employment growth is projected to average 13 percent from 2004 to 2014. This average is shown as a dotted line in some charts.

Growth by occupational group

To better explain employment trends, the first charts in this section show employment growth in groups of occupations, categorized according to the tasks that workers in each group perform.

The 10 occupational groups follow in the order of their place in the Standard Occupational Classification:

* Management, business, and financial operations occupations. Many of these workers direct the activities of business, government, and other organizations and perform tasks related to finance and business. Examples include financial managers, school administrators, accountants, and food service managers.

* Professional and related occupations. Workers in this group perform a variety of functions throughout the economy in all industries. Examples are physical therapists, engineering technicians, lawyers, photographers, desktop publishers, and computer software engineers.

* Service occupations. This group includes workers who assist the public. Police, cooks, nursing aides, flight attendants, child care workers, and cosmetologists are examples.

* Sales and related occupations. Workers in this group are involved in the sale of goods and services, both to businesses and to consumers. Examples include cashiers, insurance sales agents, retail salespersons, telemarketers, and travel agents.

* Office and administrative support occupations. Workers in this group prepare and file documents, deal with the public, and gather and distribute goods and information. Examples include secretaries, stock clerks, mail carriers, computer operators, and receptionists.

* Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations. Workers in this group tend and harvest renewable resources. Examples include farmworkers, fishing vessel captains, and logging equipment operators. Workers who manage farms or ranches are counted in the management occupations group rather than this group.

* Construction and extraction occupations. This group includes workers in construction and building trades, mining, and oil and gas extraction. Examples include carpenters, electricians, roustabouts, and mining machine operators.

* Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations. Workers in this group install and maintain all types of goods and equipment. They include avionics technicians, automotive service technicians and mechanics, bicycle repairers, industrial machinery mechanics, and millwrights.

* Production occupations. Most people in these occupations work as assemblers or machine operators, primarily in manufacturing industries. Examples include computer-controlled machine tool operators, machinists, textile occupations, power plant operators, and chemical equipment operators.

* Transportation and material moving occupations. Workers in this group include airline pilots, truck drivers, locomotive engineers, and parking lot attendants.

Classification by postsecondary education and training obtained

As an aid to jobseekers and counselors, some charts focus on occupations that have similar education and training requirements. For each occupation they analyze, BLS economists choose the education and training category that is most significant for workers in that occupation--either the category that is most common among workers currently in the occupation or the category that gives new workers the best chance of qualifying for a job. In nearl all occupations, however, workers have a variety of educational backgrounds.

Occupations fall within 1 of 11 education and training categories, ranging from a doctoral degree to short-term on-the-job training.

The postsecondary education and training categories are as follows:

* First professional degree. Completion of a first professional degree, such as a medical or law degree, usually requires at least 3 years of full-time academic...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



More articles from Occupational Outlook Quarterly
Labor force., December 22, 2005
Economic growth., December 22, 2005
Industry employment., December 22, 2005

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