📉 Declining Industries
Six sectors that experienced significant employment losses between 1970 and 2020. Click any slide to view full-size and use arrow keys or buttons to navigate.
1970 — 2020
A Comprehensive Analysis of Jobs That Disappeared vs. Jobs That Emerged
Comprehensive employment figures from 1970 to 2020 across major industry sectors, showing the dramatic shifts in the American labor market.
Sectors with significant job losses (1970-2020)
| Industry/Occupation | 1970 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing (Total) [4] | 18.0M | 12.8M | -5.2M |
| — Textile/Loom Operators [5] | 1.1M | 140K | -87% |
| — Linotype Operators [6] | 50K | 500 | -99% |
| Office & Clerical [7] | 4.2M | 2.1M | -2.1M |
| — Telephone Operators [8] | 420K | 5K | -99% |
| — Typists/Stenographers [9] | 360K | 69K | -81% |
| Agriculture [10] | 4.5M | 2.4M | -2.1M |
| — Milkmen/Delivery [11] | 120K | 500 | -99% |
| Media & Communications [12] | 420K | 120K | -71% |
| — Telegraph Operators [13] | 15K | 0 | -100% |
| Retail/Service (Disrupted) [14] | 580K | 120K | -79% |
| — Video Store Clerks [15] | — | 5K | -97%* |
| — Travel Agents [16] | 45K | 50K | -60%* |
* From peak employment (2000-2004)
Sectors with significant job creation (1970-2020)
| Industry/Occupation | 1970 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare (Total) [17] | 4.0M | 22.0M | +18.0M |
| — Home Health Aides [18] | 50K | 3.5M | +6,900% |
| — Nurse Practitioners [19] | 5K | 247K | +4,840% |
| Professional Services [20] | 2.0M | 20.0M | +18.0M |
| — Management Consultants [21] | 15K | 1.1M | +7,233% |
| — Compliance Officers [22] | 4K | 320K | +7,900% |
| Technology/IT [23] | 450K | 5.8M | +5.4M |
| — Software Developers [24] | 100K | 1.45M | +1,350% |
| — Network Admins [25] | 5K | 346K | +6,820% |
| Education & Social [26] | 5.5M | 15.5M | +10.0M |
| — Personal Care Aides [27] | 100K | 1.75M | +1,650% |
| Clean Energy & Trades [28] | 800K | 3.5M | +2.7M |
| — Solar PV Installers [29] | ~0 | 50K | New Industry |
Some occupations did not exist in 1970
This research was compiled on December 30, 2025 using a combination of official government statistics, industry reports, and historical records. Our goal was to create a comprehensive picture of how American employment has shifted over 50 years.
The challenge with historical employment data is that occupational classification systems have changed significantly over time. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) only began its current Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program in 1996-1997, meaning pre-1996 data requires different sources and careful cross-referencing.
For post-1996 data: We primarily used the BLS OEWS program (bls.gov/oes) and Current Employment Statistics (bls.gov/ces), which provide detailed occupation-level employment counts.
For 1970-1996 data: We relied on U.S. Census Bureau decennial census data, the IPUMS USA database (usa.ipums.org) which harmonizes occupation codes across census years, and FRED economic data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (fred.stlouisfed.org).
For specific occupations: Where government data was unavailable, we used industry association records (American Bar Association, AICPA, etc.), union membership data, trade publication archives, and academic research papers. These figures are noted as estimates in our data.
Occupation codes changed in 1980, 1990, and 2002, making direct comparisons difficult. We used:
For occupations without official historical data, we used:
Please note:
Six sectors that experienced significant employment losses between 1970 and 2020. Click any slide to view full-size and use arrow keys or buttons to navigate.
Five sectors that experienced explosive employment growth between 1970 and 2020. Click any slide to view full-size and use arrow keys or buttons to navigate.
Overlay visualizations showing how declining and growing sectors compare over the 50-year period.
What the data reveals about 50 years of American workforce transformation
For every job lost in declining industries, nearly 4 new jobs were created in growing sectors. The net gain of 38.1 million jobs demonstrates the economy's remarkable adaptive capacity.
Healthcare grew from 7.5% to 14% of total employment. Home health aides alone (+6,900%) represent the single largest occupational growth category, driven by an aging population.
Elevator operators are the only occupation eliminated purely by automation. All other declines involved multiple factors: international trade, changing consumer behavior, and technological disruption.
Median wages in growing sectors significantly exceed those in declining occupations. Data scientists earn $113K vs. $38K for data entry clerks—a structural upgrade in job quality.
Around 1998, healthcare employment surpassed manufacturing for the first time, marking a symbolic shift from an industrial to a service-based economy.
Wind turbine technicians (+50%) and solar installers (+51%) are now the #1 and #2 fastest-growing occupations, signaling the next major workforce transformation.
All links open in new tabs. Click any citation number in the report to jump here.
This report was compiled using AI research assistance. Data collection, analysis, and visualization were performed using Claude (Anthropic) and associated research tools on December 30, 2025. The AI assisted in gathering publicly available government statistics, cross-referencing multiple data sources, and identifying relevant historical records.
All data sources are cited above with direct links to original sources. We encourage readers to verify data points independently using the provided links. While we have made every effort to ensure accuracy, historical employment data—especially pre-1996—may contain estimation errors due to classification changes and data availability limitations.
This report is provided for informational purposes only. For official statistics, please consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) and U.S. Census Bureau (census.gov) directly.