Updated on: September 2, 2026 / 3:40 PM EDT
/ CBS News
America's aging population and the rising incidence of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are projected to create millions of healthcare and social assistance jobs over the next decade, according to new government labor data.
Employment in the sector is projected to grow 9.5%, adding 2.2 million jobs, from 2025 to 2035, the Labor Department forecasts. That accounts for roughly 37% of all new U.S. jobs over that period, the agency estimates.
The fastest-growing U.S. industry over the next decade is likely to be utilities, driven by growing demand for energy needed to power artificial intelligence. The Labor Department projects that sector will expand by 9.8% through 2035. But that growth is projected to add only 58,800 jobs over 10 years, given the modest size of the utilities sector.
"Utilities support will help meet increased demand for electricity, including from data centers, but if you're thinking about what degree to pursue, you probably care about the number of jobs that will open up, and the greatest increase in the number of jobs will be in healthcare, for sure," Jed Kolko, an economist and the former Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs in the Biden administration, told CBS News.
Growing demand for AI-based systems and tools, as well as research and development in the burgeoning AI space, is also expected to create nearly 927,000 jobs in the professional, scientific and technical services sector.
"A lot of those nearly 1 million jobs relate to AI demand. It's your software developers, consultants and engineers," Breyon Williams, chief labor market economist at Groundwork Collaborative, an economic think tank and advocacy group, told CBS News.
Yet while growing demand for AI is expected to boost employment in some sectors, it will reduce demand in administrative functions and at retailers, among other industries, according to economists.
"It's not surprising that 752,000 administrative jobs, like office clerks, customer service reps and secretaries, are projected to be eliminated within the next 10 years," Williams said of the Labor Department's employment projections. "The story is mixed. There are some gains from AI demand coupled with losses in places where it's not surprising we'd see some drop-offs."
The use of AI could also limit demand for some jobs in the arts, design, entertainment, sports and media occupational group, the Labor Department notes.
Federal government jobs are expected to decline by 3.4% from 2025 to 2035.
Edited by
Alain Sherter
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