Careers Losing Jobs the Fastest (2019-2024)
These careers saw the biggest employment declines over the last 5 years. The data shows how many jobs were lost from 2019 to 2024, revealing which occupations are shrinking in the American workforce.
498
Declining Careers
-81.7%
Biggest Decline
-15,369,210
Total Jobs Lost
-16.3%
Average Decline
Top 10 Fastest Declining Careers
Employment decline percentage from 2019 to 2024
All 498 Declining Careers (2019-2024)
| Rank | Occupation | 2019 Jobs | 2024 Jobs | Jobs Lost | % Decline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters | 1,260 | 230 | -1,030 | -81.7% |
| 2 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | 16,700 | 6,720 | -9,980 | -59.8% |
| 3 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | 29,170 | 11,850 | -17,320 | -59.4% |
| 4 | Miscellaneous Communications Equipment Operators | 3,240 | 1,390 | -1,850 | -57.1% |
| 5 | Communications Equipment Operators, All Other | 3,240 | 1,390 | -1,850 | -57.1% |
| 6 | Motion Picture Projectionists | 4,540 | 1,950 | -2,590 | -57.0% |
| 7 | Model Makers, Wood | 810 | 360 | -450 | -55.6% |
| 8 | Model Makers and Patternmakers, Wood | 1,190 | 530 | -660 | -55.5% |
| 9 | Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks | 26,700 | 11,960 | -14,740 | -55.2% |
| 10 | Paperhangers | 3,380 | 1,520 | -1,860 | -55.0% |
| 11 | Desktop Publishers | ---,--- | ---,--- | ----,--- | ---.-% |
| 12 | Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators | ---,--- | ---,--- | ----,--- | ---.-% |
| 13 | Watch and Clock Repairers | ---,--- | ---,--- | ----,--- | ---.-% |
About This Data
Employment decline is calculated by comparing total employment for each occupation in 2019 vs 2024, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Only occupations with valid employment data in both years that showed job losses are included. Decline percentage = (2019 employment - 2024 employment) / 2019 employment × 100.