Jobs That May Not Be Around Forever

Good Morning DINKS. Today we are talking about the labour that provides our fruits.  Let me ask you a question…do you love your job? It is very possible that you love your job, it may be possible that you fell into a profession which was once high in demand and therefore it was very easy for you to find a job, however it is also very possible that your job may be a dying form of employment which is not as in demand as it used to be.  Forbes published a list of jobs and career paths that were lost in the recession and that are being phased out of the workforce thanks to advancements in technology.  Is your job on the list?

Postal Workers. Over the past few years the postal service has lost over 55,000 jobs as people are being replaced with machines and electronic mail sorters which are more cost efficient as well as more efficient production wise.  The demand for human mail sorters is expected to continue declining over the next few years.

Office and Administrative Positions.  Administrative jobs are also declining in the workforce as employees are asked to take on more tasks. Various administrative positions such as file clerks, office administrators, and various support worker positions are being eliminated. Approximately 300,000 administrative jobs have been cut in offices over the past few years and as technology advances human contact in the workplace will be eliminated. Thanks to voicemail there is no need for a receptionist and thanks to email there is no need for a mail room clerk.

Door to Door Salespeople.  With the popular pop up advertisements on the internet, the beauty of commercials interrupting our favourite TV shows, and the expensive sales pitches from our favourite stars and celebrity spokespeople door to door sales people and marketing representatives are also less in demand.

Skilled Sewers.  With technology advancements along with the popular assembly line manufacturing technique the demand for hand made goods has definitely declined over the past few years. Producing products in mass is cost efficient because the labour is cheaper for one machine than it is for several different sewing machine operators and skilled hand sewers.

Performing Artists. Over the past few years there has also been a decline in the demand for performing artists.  When people have less disposable income they spend less money on extracurricular activities such as entertainment, theatre shows, and the performing arts.  The decline in the need for people to watch live performing arts such as actors on stage, dancers in a ballet, or singers in a musical may also be due to the increase in popularity of DVDs, video games, interactive online worlds and role playing games.

On a brighter note there are two careers that slowed down during the recession, but thankfully they are making a comeback in the current job market.  If your career path of choice is in construction or finance then you will (hopefully) soon have more potential employers to choose from as these two industries recover after the recession.  As the economy recovers there is more money in circulation which means that more people are willing to invest their personal money in the market.  It also means that more people are willing to invest in new building projects.

Photo by bpsusf

Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.