Choosing a career in 2026 feels tricky. You might be thinking about going back to school, retraining after a layoff, or helping a teen pick a major. The last thing you want is to spend years and thousands of dollars aiming at a job that’s quietly disappearing.
At the same time, companies are rolling out AI, self-checkout, chatbots, and online tools that replace the exact kinds of routine work many people have always relied on. Some jobs are shrinking; others still exist but are getting more stressful and unstable as layoffs and restructuring pile up.
Here are 18 professions that are already on the decline and projected to keep shrinking into the 2030s, based mostly on official U.S. government employment projections and recent layoff data. If you’re planning your next move in the United States, these are careers you should think very hard before pursuing.
Table of contents
- Word processors, typists, and pure data entry jobs
- Order clerks and other manual order-entry roles
- Payroll and timekeeping clerks
- Cashiers
- Bank tellers and other branch-based banking jobs
- Customer service representatives in high-volume call centers
- Secretaries and traditional administrative assistants
- General office clerks
- Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
- Telemarketers
- Telephone and switchboard operators
- Desktop publishers, prepress technicians, and print-binding workers
- Foundry mold and coremakers, patternmakers, and other routine machine-shop jobs
- Engine and other machine assemblers
- Nuclear power reactor operators and other power plant operators
- Adult basic education, GED, and ESL instructors
- News analysts, reporters, and journalists at legacy outlets
- Computer programmers (but not all tech jobs)
- Discover job hunting tips, ways to earn more, and flexible working options:
Word processors, typists, and pure data entry jobs
If you picture someone in an office whose full job is typing documents or filling in forms, that role is disappearing fast. Official projections show “word processors and typists” shrinking by about 36% between 2024 and 2034, one of the steepest drops of any occupation in the country. Data entry keyers are also expected to lose more than a quarter of their jobs over the same period.
The reasons are simple: speech-to-text tools, AI that drafts emails and reports, online forms that feed data directly into databases, and overseas outsourcing. A lot of the repetitive keyboard work that used to require a full-time person now takes a fraction of the time or gets automated completely. Even when companies still hire for these titles, the pay is modest and the roles are often the first cut in a slowdown.
If you’re fast on a keyboard, focus on jobs that mix typing with judgment and people skills: paralegal work, medical coding, claims investigation, or project coordination. Those roles still use documentation skills but add problem-solving and domain knowledge in a way simple typing jobs don’t.
Order clerks and other manual order-entry roles
Order clerks used to sit between customers and warehouses, keying in phone or fax orders and tracking shipments. Now that most ordering happens through websites, apps, and EDI systems, that middle layer is fading. Employment for order clerks is projected to drop more than 17% between 2024 and 2034.
In practice, that means fewer entry-level office jobs where you “just process orders.” Modern order management systems sync directly with customer portals and inventory tools. Sales teams either self-enter orders or customers do it themselves. When businesses do keep humans in the loop, they want people who can upsell, troubleshoot, or manage key accounts, not just retype information from one screen into another.
If you like the idea of working with orders and logistics, aim for roles in supply-chain coordination, inventory analysis, or customer success. Those jobs still touch the flow of goods but expect you to solve problems, not just move numbers from one box to another.
Payroll and timekeeping clerks
Payroll and timekeeping clerks are another classic back-office job being quietly replaced. Projections show payroll and timekeeping clerk positions shrinking by about 17% over 2024–2034.
Modern payroll systems integrate time clocks, tax tables, benefits, and direct deposit. Once those systems are set up, a lot of the old work, manually checking timesheets, updating tax withholdings, printing checks, happens automatically. Many small businesses now outsource payroll entirely, and larger employers are consolidating payroll into shared-services centers where fewer people manage more workers using better software.
If you enjoy numbers and details, consider bookkeeping with analytics, HRIS (human resources information systems), or compensation analysis instead. Those areas still benefit from an eye for accuracy but put you closer to decision-making instead of routine data maintenance.
Cashiers
You’ve probably seen this one with your own eyes. Self-checkout aisles now take up huge chunks of grocery and big-box stores. The global market for self-checkout systems is projected to roughly double from about $4.9 billion in 2024 to more than $10 billion by 2030. Official employment projections show cashier jobs dropping by nearly 10% from 2024 to 2034.
Retailers love self-checkout because it cuts labor costs and lets one worker monitor several stations. Mobile scan-and-go apps and online grocery orders are also reducing the number of traditional cashier lanes they need to staff. The result: fewer full-time jobs, more variable hours, and more pressure on remaining workers to supervise machines as well as help customers.
If you work as a cashier now, treating it as a stepping stone is smart. Look for ways to move into roles that manage inventory, analyze sales data, or handle customer experience, anything that ties you to outcomes instead of a physical register.
Bank tellers and other branch-based banking jobs
Bank branches are closing every year as more customers deposit checks, pay bills, and move money on their phones. Between 2017 and 2025, the national branch network fell almost 15%, from about 86,500 to 73,600 locations. Official forecasts also show teller jobs dropping about 13% from 2024 to 2034.
On top of that, big banks are announcing multi-year plans to cut tens of thousands of roles as they lean into AI and digital services. One large global bank, for example, recently outlined a headcount reduction of about 60,000 by 2026 as it shifts toward automation and higher-margin businesses.
If you’re thinking of starting as a teller, know that it’s harder to build a 20-year career inside a shrinking branch network. Roles in fraud prevention, compliance, data, or financial planning have better long-term prospects than jobs tied to physical counters.
Customer service representatives in high-volume call centers
Customer service isn’t going away, but the old model of huge call centers full of people reading from scripts is under real pressure. Official projections show customer service representative jobs shrinking about 5% between 2024 and 2034.
Basic questions are increasingly handled by chatbots and self-service portals. Companies also route more calls to cheaper offshore centers. That leaves fewer U.S. jobs, and the ones that remain tend to be more stressful, with higher call volumes and tougher problems. At the same time, turnover is high, which means constant hiring and firing, hard if you’re hoping for stability or predictable hours.
If you’re good with people and solving problems, look at customer success, technical support that requires deeper knowledge, or implementation roles where you help clients set up complex tools. Those positions still support customers but are harder to replace with a bot.
Secretaries and traditional administrative assistants
“Just be a secretary” used to be a solid plan. Today, routine admin work is one of the job families most exposed to automation and restructuring. One major international report on AI and jobs highlighted clerical and secretarial roles, including bank tellers and data entry clerks, as among the quickest to decline as AI spreads.
Official U.S. projections show that the largest subcategory of secretaries and administrative assistants (excluding medical and legal) is expected to lose tens of thousands of positions by 2034. Software now handles calendars, travel booking, forms, and even basic correspondence. Many companies have eliminated individual assistants in favor of shared admin teams or “doing your own admin” with help from AI writing tools.
If you already have strong admin skills, the pivot is to roles like project coordinator, operations specialist, or office manager where you own outcomes, not just tasks. If you’re just starting out, you’re usually better off training for a role like medical admin, where industry knowledge creates a moat.
General office clerks
General office clerks are the “do a bit of everything” workers: answering phones, filing, data entry, scheduling, and mail. That grab-bag role is shrinking as software and more specialized jobs take over those tasks. Projections show general office clerk employment falling by about 7% between 2024 and 2034, a loss of nearly 180,000 jobs.
The problem is employers no longer want someone who floats between simple tasks. They’d rather hire a specialist who owns a process and can improve it, like a billing coordinator, HR assistant, or marketing ops associate, and let software handle the rest. When budgets tighten, vague “office support” roles are often the first on the chopping block.
If you’re naturally organized and like smoothing out chaos, build skills in a specific system: an HR platform, a CRM, a project-management tool, or accounting software. That turns you from generic help into the person who makes a critical platform run.
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks
Entry-level bookkeeping used to be a reliable path into finance. Now, cloud accounting platforms, automated bank feeds, and low-cost outsourced services are eating away at the demand for traditional bookkeeping clerks. Official forecasts show these roles losing over 90,000 jobs by 2034, about a 6% drop.
The issue isn’t that businesses stop needing books; it’s that one skilled professional can now do far more with better tools, and basic categorizing gets automated. Many small businesses hand their books to remote firms that batch work across hundreds of clients. That’s efficient for them, but it means fewer entry-level desk jobs where you learn by doing.
If you enjoy accounting, aim higher than bookkeeping clerk. Go for an associate’s or bachelor’s that sets you up for staff accountant, analyst, or tax preparer roles, where you interpret numbers instead of just entering them.
Telemarketers
Telemarketing has been fading for years, and the numbers make it clear that trend will keep going. Telemarketer jobs are projected to decline more than 22% between 2024 and 2034.
People screen calls. Regulations limit when and how companies can dial. Auto-dialers and AI voice bots can now handle the first “touch” at almost no cost. Companies that still rely on outbound selling are moving toward email sequences, digital ads, and higher-skill inside sales roles that focus on qualified leads instead of calling down a list.
If you’re persuasive on the phone, you’re better off targeting roles like B2B inside sales, account executive, or fundraising where you’re building relationships and managing a pipeline, not reading the same pitch over and over to annoyed strangers.
Telephone and switchboard operators
This is another job you mostly notice when it’s gone. Auto-attendants, corporate directories, and web-based contact forms have nearly wiped out the need for human switchboard operators. Projections show telephone operator jobs dropping about 27%, and switchboard operators about 26%, over 2024–2034.
Even large hospitals and campuses now push callers toward automated menus or online chat. When a human does answer, they’re often doing more than routing calls, handling complex issues, triaging emergencies, or supporting high-value customers. That means fewer, higher-skill roles instead of rows of operators in a call room.
If you like being the hub who connects people, consider front-desk work that includes security or patient coordination, or transition into roles like dispatcher, scheduler, or customer success rep, where you own outcomes beyond “transfer the call.”
Desktop publishers, prepress technicians, and print-binding workers
Print isn’t dead, but it is much smaller, and far more automated, than it used to be. A cluster of print-production jobs, including desktop publishers, prepress technicians, and print binding and finishing workers, are all on the fastest-declining list, with projected drops in the mid-teens by 2034.
Graphic designers now send digital files directly to automated presses. Layout is handled in web-oriented tools. Many small print shops have closed, and large ones run with fewer, more technical staff. That leaves fewer entry-level roles where you learn by physically setting up jobs, plates, and bindings.
If you love layout and print, build digital skills too: UX design, web design, or marketing design. You can still specialize in print, but you’ll want a broader skill set that keeps you employable even if local print work dries up.
Foundry mold and coremakers, patternmakers, and other routine machine-shop jobs
Traditional metal casting and some machine-shop roles are shrinking as factories automate and move work offshore. Foundry mold and coremakers are projected to lose about 26% of their jobs by 2034, and metal patternmakers around 24%.
Robotics, CNC machines, and better casting technologies mean fewer workers can produce more parts, more consistently. When companies do open new plants, they often look for multi-skill technicians who can program and maintain equipment, not narrow roles that only do one manual task.
If you like working with your hands, there’s still demand for skilled trades, especially where maintenance, troubleshooting, or custom work is involved. Look at industrial maintenance tech, CNC programming, welding, or mechatronics instead of the most repetitive, specialized shop jobs.
Engine and other machine assemblers
Engine and machine assemblers once had a reputation as high-paying, stable factory jobs. Today, that niche is also on the fastest-declining list, with projections showing more than 20% job loss by 2034.
Assembly lines are increasingly automated, and companies continue to shift some production abroad. New plants tend to be more high-tech, hiring fewer assemblers and more engineers, technicians, and maintenance specialists. When a slowdown hits, line assemblers are often the first laid off, and it can be hard to move between plants without relocating.
If you enjoy mechanical work, look for paths where you fix and improve machines instead of repeating the same assembly task. Industrial maintenance, field service, and quality assurance can provide more durable careers than narrow line-assembly roles.
Nuclear power reactor operators and other power plant operators
Nuclear reactor operators are highly paid, but the number of positions is shrinking. Official projections show nuclear power reactor operators declining about 15% between 2024 and 2034. Overall employment for power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers is expected to drop around 10% over the same period.
Some countries are extending the life of existing plants and even restarting reactors, which creates pockets of demand. But older plants will still retire, and newer facilities are designed to run with fewer operators and more digital controls. That means high pay for now, but a shrinking number of seats over a typical 30-year career.
If you’re passionate about energy, consider broader roles in grid operations, renewable energy, or electrical engineering. Those paths give you more options as the mix of power sources changes.
Adult basic education, GED, and ESL instructors
Adult education is deeply important, but funding cuts and program changes are reducing traditional teaching jobs in this space. Employment of adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers is projected to fall about 14% from 2024 to 2034.
Community programs, literacy centers, and some in-person classes have been replaced by online platforms, apps, and short-term contracts. Many organizations rely on part-time or grant-funded roles, so even when jobs exist, they’re often low-paid and unstable. That makes it hard to rely on this field as a main source of income, especially if you’re carrying student loans.
If you feel called to adult education, you might pair it with a more stable role, like K-12 teaching, instructional design, or corporate training. That way you can keep helping adult learners without putting your entire financial future in a shrinking, underfunded niche.
News analysts, reporters, and journalists at legacy outlets
Local and national newsrooms have been hit with wave after wave of layoffs. In 2023 alone, more than 21,000 media jobs were cut, one of the worst years since the financial crisis. Those cuts have continued, with major outlets now eliminating hundreds more positions and even shutting down entire sections and shows.
Official projections back up what you see in the headlines: employment of news analysts, reporters, and journalists is expected to decline about 4% between 2024 and 2034. Digital advertising has flowed to tech platforms, many local papers have closed, and new outlets tend to rely on smaller teams plus freelancers.
If you love storytelling and investigation, you may still choose this field, but go in with clear eyes. Consider pairing journalism with skills in data, multimedia, or communications so you can pivot into roles like content strategy, policy research, or corporate communications if newsroom jobs dry up.
Computer programmers (but not all tech jobs)
It sounds odd to say “programmer” is a shrinking job when tech feels like it runs everything. But there’s a big difference between broad “software developers” and the narrower occupation labeled “computer programmers,” which focuses on writing and testing code based on someone else’s design. Employment in that specific role is projected to drop about 6% from 2024 to 2034.
At the same time, the tech sector has gone through massive layoffs: at least around 95,000 U.S. tech workers were laid off in 2024 and more than 120,000 in 2025, with cuts continuing into 2026. Routine coding work is easy to offshore or automate with AI tools, and companies are hiring fewer pure coders while looking for engineers who can design systems, work with stakeholders, and manage AI-assisted workflows.
If you’re interested in tech, this doesn’t mean “don’t learn to code.” It means don’t stop there. Aim for roles that combine coding with product thinking, data skills, or domain expertise, for example, software engineer, data engineer, or product-minded developer, rather than training narrowly for a job title that’s already projected to shrink.
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Byline: Katy Willis
