As COVID impacts play out and employers figure out remote work policies, we can make some educated guesses for career planning in 2022.

Although COVID has changed our lives, many work and economic trends long in motion continue to accelerate. The impacts of technology and automation, climate change, and aging population demographics in developed countries like the U.S. are growing.

Takeaways from new 2020-2030 U.S. employment projections

If you remove the one-time, unusual pandemic/economic recovery effects, the fastest projected employment growth is in,

• Healthcare,

• Renewable energy (wind, solar),

• Information security; and

• Data science.

Also, our workforce is getting older and participation rates are shrinking, particularly for people under the age of 65. Some of that is attributed to personal savings from COVID stimulus and parents (particularly women) leaving the workforce in the absence of affordable childcare.

Read more in BLS’s Monthly Labor Review, October 2021

Long-term Pandemic Impacts on Choosing Careers and Majors

In June’s blog, learn about,

• “Sticky” pandemic impacts that are not going away

• Least secure occupations by Career Key work group (shared worker traits, skills, abilities)

• More secure, less vulnerable occupations by Career Key work group