What will 2020 Look Like for Job Seekers?

With the U.S. unemployment rate dropping throughout much of the 2010s, the focus of the future workforce is likely to be on securing a great job rather than simply getting a job. Although career experts predict a growing job market, they also anticipate a growing skill gap, making those with the right abilities in high demand. Here's what job seekers can expect in the job market of the 2020s.

More Education Required

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 20 percent rise in jobs requiring a Master's degree or higher by 2020, and that trend is likely to continue throughout the decade. At current college graduation rates, many jobs are likely to go unfilled. But simply getting a college education is not necessarily the best move. It's important to target that education to those sectors of the job market that are predicted to grow.

Flexible Career Fields

With technology rapidly changing many industries, future job seekers need to be prepared to work at many different positions across their career trajectories. Prepare for job market upticks in areas, such as data science, management, environmentalism, research science, counseling and computer engineering by studying broadly in your area of interest.

Urban Hot Spots

Major metropolitan areas that have shown job growth during the 2010s are likely to continue experiencing a strong job market in the 2020s. These include San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Seattle, New York, Chicago and Atlanta.

Information Technology Growth

Don't make the mistake of thinking the IT revolution is over. In some ways, it is just beginning. Big data is big news, and in 2018, much of that data is still unexplored and unused. Watch for the IT job market to grow exponentially in increasingly diverse industries. Anticipate all computer jobs being on the rise, from security specialists to programmers.

Job Surge in the Energy Industry

IT growth is going to be especially big in the energy industry. Smart grids, wireless centers, and high-tech control centers need engineers and technicians to create them and keep them running. Watch for energy companies hiring more scientists and other members for research and development teams to improve energy production with cutting edge technology.

More Males in Heath Care Support

Expect to see more men moving into the growing health care support field. As the population ages, the need for physical and occupational therapy assistants, home health care workers and nursing aides continues to expand. Watch for more young men and male career changers training for these positions in the face of fewer factory job openings.

The biggest change in the job market beginning in 2020 is that millennials are expected to make up half of the U.S. workforce. Members of the millennial generation want flexibility and recognition from their employers, plus an opportunity to make a real difference in the world. Look for the job market to reflect these changes as employers work to attract the best of the younger generation to their companies.

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