12 jobs that are set to shrink over the next decade

Automation is set to reduce the need for some jobs over the next decade, like order clerks and switchboard operators.

New Bureau of Labor Statistics projections show which jobs may rapidly grow between 2025 and 2035, and which may shrink.

Word processors and typists are projected to experience the largest percent decline, falling 34%.

It’s one of 206 jobs that the Bureau of Labor Statistics classified as having “very high” exposure to AI.

The 12 jobs with the largest projected percent declines typically aren’t high-paying.

Most of them earned less than the national median annual wage of $50,980 in 2025.

Employment of foundry mold and coremakers, as well as metal and plastic patternmakers, is projected to decline, partly due to businesses’ ability to leverage 3D printers.

For word processors and typists, BLS said other workers are taking on these duties, and “traditional typing methods continue to be replaced by automated processes through use of machine learning (ML) technologies.” Telemarketers and mining roof bolters are set to see changes in demand for different reasons.

For telemarketers, BLS said the “share decreases as the Do Not Call registry from the FCC continues to grow, and companies increasingly use alternative digital marketing methods.” For roof bolters, it’s due to a preference for surface mining over underground work.

Overall, US employment is projected to rise 3.5% over the decade, down from 10.9% growth in the decade earlier.

Some jobs are expected to increase due to the care of an aging population.

The private healthcare and social assistance sector is expected to have a bounty of opportunities, accounting for 37% of the 5.9 million jobs projected to be added to the US.