A large majority of industries has started to make a noticeable comeback from the economic downturn, expanding business and hiring workers. However, there are some jobs that are in danger of never returning from the abyss.
A recent report from U.S. News & World Report outlined a number of jobs that might become obsolete in the near future. The report is based on unemployment data from hundreds of occupations between 2000 and 2011.
Here are seven jobs that are likely to become extinct:
- Telemarketers - Unfortunately, most companies - big and small alike - have outsourced a lot of their customer service and tech-related positions, and that includes most telemarketing positions. You might be able to find some companies that are dedicated to keeping their jobs local, but those openings will be few and far between. As it stands right now, telemarketers have an unemployment rate of 31.4 percent.
- Construction workers - The construction industry was probably the hardest-hit by the recession and resulting housing slowdown, and even though the economy is slowly recovering, people are still being tight with their money and holding off on building projects, so it’s no surprise that there aren’t a lot of construction jobs available. The current unemployment rate for construction helpers alone is at 27.8 percent.
- Low-tech manufacturing - While high-tech manufacturing continues to grow at an astounding rate, the more traditional manufacturing roles are having a hard time making a comeback. Part of the reason for that is again that many companies have chosen to outsource their major manufacturing jobs in order to save costs. This is having a huge impact - for instance, the unemployment rate for iron and steel workers stands at 25.3 percent.
- Packaging - Unless you work for a big company like Amazon, your chances of getting a good packing job are slim to none, as a lot of smaller retailers are cutting back on staff in order to save money. In addition, increasing technology is making it easier to pack and ship goods without a lot of human help. Packers and packagers currently have an unemployment rate of 18.6 percent.
- Groundskeepers - Fewer businesses that traditionally hire people to take care of their landscaping and upkeep needs are paying for such services today. Instead, they’re turning to cheap labor or getting friends to help out with the work, which means there aren’t a whole lot of openings for groundskeepers. The current unemployment rate for grounds maintenance workers is 16.1 percent.
- Tax preparers - Tax preparers have a pretty good gig, getting the most of their business taken care of between January and April, and taking it easy the rest of the year. However, higher unemployment rates all around means that fewer people are even filing tax returns, let alone hiring a professional to fill out all those pesky forms. Tax preparers have an unemployment rate of 15.9 percent.
- Daycare workers - Even though people are still having kids, fewer parents are working, and those who are employed are more likely to work from home. This means there isn’t a lot of need for daycare workers to take care of children while mom and dad head off to the office for the day. Childcare workers have an unemployment rate of 10.4 percent right now.
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