The U.S. labor market is poised for a decade of moderated overall growth, but a select group of industries is positioned for explosive expansion. According to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), total U.S. employment will edge up by 5.9 million jobs between 2025 and 2035. This represents a modest 3.5% growth rate, bringing total employment to 176.2 million—a notable deceleration from the 10.9% pace seen in the prior decade.
Within this broader slowdown, however, distinct demographic and technological trends are creating concentrated pockets of high-demand hiring.
The Volume Leader: Healthcare and Social Assistance
While it ranks as the second-fastest-growing sector by percentage, healthcare and social assistance will absolutely dominate in sheer volume. The industry is projected to add **2.2 million jobs** over the next decade, accounting for a staggering **37% of all new jobs created** through 2035.
This 9.5% growth rate is being driven by two irreversible trends: an aging population and the rising prevalence of chronic health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Within the field, advanced and leadership roles will see the most dramatic surges, with employment for nurse practitioners projected to jump by 41%, and medical and health services managers by 24%.
The Growth Rate Leader: Utilities
If healthcare is the volume leader, the utility industry is the growth-rate champion. Driven by the AI boom, the sector is expected to expand by **9.8%**, making it the fastest-growing industry in the country.
Hyperscalers are scrambling to build the massive data centers required to power artificial intelligence, creating unprecedented electricity demand. “Nearly all the job growth is expected from electric power generation, transmission, and distribution due to increasing demand for electricity, including artificial intelligence power demands,” the BLS noted. While the total number of jobs added will be a relatively modest 58,800, specific sub-sectors will experience hyper-growth: solar electric power generation is projected to surge by 153%, and wind electric power generation by 62%.
The Tech Resilience: Professional and Scientific Services
Despite early, dire predictions that AI would trigger a "jobs apocalypse" in software and programming, tech talent remains in exceptionally high demand. The professional, scientific, and technical services industry is projected to be the third-fastest-growing sector, expanding by 8.6% and adding 926,700 jobs.
As businesses increasingly lean on AI tools to optimize operations and decision-making, the demand for workers who can build and manage these systems is soaring. The BLS projects a 34.6% surge in data scientist roles and a 21.8% increase for computer and information research scientists. Notably, top AI executives, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, have recently walked back their most apocalyptic employment forecasts, aligning with this more nuanced, demand-driven reality.
The AI Casualties: Administrative, Sales, and Creative Roles
Conversely, the productivity gains promised by AI will come at the expense of certain occupational groups. The office and administrative support sector is expected to bear the brunt of this shift, facing a 4% decline that translates to a loss of 752,100 jobs—the steepest drop of any major occupational group.
Sales and related occupations will also contract by 1.4%, as e-commerce continues to capture market share and AI tools become further embedded in business development processes.
Furthermore, the BLS warned that the ripple effects of automation will extend into creative fields. “The use of generative AI software, which can be leveraged to automate repetitive tasks and speed up certain processes, may limit demand for some jobs in the arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupational group,” the report stated.
The next decade of the American labor market will be defined by a tale of two forces: the relentless demographic demands of an aging society, and the dual-edged sword of artificial intelligence. While AI will displace routine administrative and creative tasks, it will simultaneously act as a massive catalyst for job creation in the energy grid, advanced tech, and the healthcare systems keeping the workforce alive and well.