The Workforce of Tomorrow

Making informed career decisions requires reliable information about employment opportunities in the future. Job opportunities result from the relationships between the population, the labor force, and the demand for goods and services. Population ultimately limits the size of the labor force, which, in turn, drives how much can be produced. Demand for various goods and services determines employment in the industries providing them. Occupational employment opportunities then result from skills needed within specific industries. Opportunities for registered nurses and other health-related specialists, for example, have surged in response to the rapid growth in demand for health services as the American population has aged.

Based on population and economic growth, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts where future job growth is expected, by industry and occupation, and what the demographic makeup of the workforce is likely to be. The latest predictions released are for the decade 2004 to 2014. These ten-year projections are widely used for studying long-range economic and employment trends, planning education and training programs, and developing career information.