The Industries Poised to Drive U.S. Hiring Over the Next Decade

The next ten years won’t look like the boom of the 2010s. Overall employment is expected to creep up just 3.5%, reaching about 176 million jobs by 2035, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a far slower pace than the double‑digit growth we saw a decade ago.

But don’t mistake the modest headline number for a stagnant labor market. A handful of sectors are gearing up for what looks like a hiring frenzy. Leading the pack is the utilities industry, which is set to expand its workforce by roughly 9.8%—the fastest rate among all sectors.

The driver? The relentless rise of AI and the corresponding demand for power‑hungry data centers. BLS notes that “nearly all the job growth is expected from electric power generation, transmission, and distribution” as the grid powers everything from cloud services to autonomous vehicles. Within utilities, solar generation jobs could more than double (a 153% jump) and wind‑related roles are projected to rise 62%.

Even with those numbers, utilities will add only about 58,800 positions. In comparison, the healthcare and social assistance sector is about to explode, creating an estimated 2.2 million jobs—a 9.5% increase that will account for roughly 37% of all new jobs through 2035.

Why the surge? An aging population and a steady rise in chronic conditions—heart disease, cancer, diabetes—mean more doctors, nurses, caregivers and administrators are needed. Nurse practitioners, for instance, are expected to see a 41% jump in openings, while medical and health services managers could climb 24%.

Technology isn’t far behind. The professional, scientific and technical services sector is forecast to grow 8.6%, adding the second‑most jobs (about 927 000). As companies lean on AI for decision‑making, data scientists are set to increase by 34.6% and computer‑information research scientists by 21.8%.

Those figures are a breath of fresh air for office workers who heard early warnings of a “jobs apocalypse” from AI moguls. Even top AI CEOs have softened those predictions as their own firms head toward blockbuster IPOs.

Still, AI will trim employment in some corners. The office and administrative support group is slated to shed 4% (around 752 000 jobs), the biggest decline among major occupational groups. Sales and related occupations may dip 1.4% as e‑commerce and AI tools further automate routine tasks. BLS cautions that generative AI could also curb demand for roles in the arts, design, entertainment and media.

In short, while the overall job market will grow slowly, the distribution of that growth will be anything but even. Utilities, healthcare, and high‑skill tech roles will soak up the bulk of new hires, whereas some traditional office jobs may quietly shrink.