In early December the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics posted a summary of Employment Projections through 2016. Here are the top 30 occupations with the largest employment growth opportunities through 2016 with the raw number of new positions for that position in parens. This data sheds an interesting perspective on what kind of nation America will become and what kind of jobs its people value. Registered nurses (587,000), retail salesperson (557,000), customer service rep (545,000), food preparation/fast food (452,000), office clerks (404,000), personal care aides (384,000), home health aides (384,000), college/post graduate teachers* (382,000), janitors/cleaners (345,000), nursing aides (264,000), bookkeeping clerks (264,000), waiters/waitresses (255,000), child care workers (248,000), secretaries/administrative assistants (239,000), computer software engineers* (226,000), accountants* (226,000), landscapers (221,000), elementary school teachers* (209,000), receptionists (202,000), truck drivers (193,000), maids/house cleaners (186,000), security guards (175,000), carpenters (150,000), management analysts* (149,000), medical assistants (148,000), computer systems analysts* (146,000), network/data comm analysts* (140,000), maintenance workers (140,000), food prep workers (138,000), teacher assistants (137,000).If you total all 30 of these largest employment growth jobs there is a net increase of 8,101,000 new jobs to our economy in the coming nine years.The BLS report, for each job growth area, lists the “most significant source of education” required for that job. The asterisks above represent job growth areas that require a minimum bachelor’s degree. This totals to 1,478,000 positions, or 18.2% of all fast growing jobs.Another way of looking at it…..81.8% of jobs in the fastest growing segments of employment in America over the next nine years will not require any higher education. The macro reflection of these fastest growing segments paints a picture of an aging nation more interested in shopping, healthcare, fast food and a pretty garden than tech education. What is equally troubling is the forecasted high turnover of post secondary teachers. Without quality college/post graduate/doctoral teachers our nation is particularly at risk in all fields of endeavor….not just science and math.What’s your take on this picture of America? Does it reflect your view? Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP What goes well with Viña Concha y Toro wines? Meat, fish, poultry, and SAP Viña Concha y Toro, a wine producer that distributes to more than 140 countries worldwide, paired its operation with the SAP Business Technology Platform to enhance its operation and product. By Tom Caldecott, SAP Contributor Dec 04, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Azul How to maximize ROI by choosing the right Java partner for your organization Choosing the right Java provider is a critical decision that can have a significant impact on your organization’s success. By asking the right questions and considering the total cost of ownership, you can ensure that you choose the best Java p By Scott Sellers Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Application Management brandpost Sponsored by DataStax Ask yourself: How can genAI put your content to work? Generative AI applications can readily be built against the documents, emails, meeting transcripts, and other content that knowledge workers produce as a matter of course. By Bryan Kirschner Dec 04, 2023 5 mins Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence feature The CIO’s new role: Orchestrator-in-chief CIOs have unique insight into everything that happens in a company. Some are using that insight to take on a more strategic role. By Minda Zetlin Dec 04, 2023 12 mins CIO C-Suite Business IT Alignment Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe