These industries will lead hiring in the next decade, with just one sector accounting for more than a third of all new jobs

The U.S. labor market is projected to grow by 3.5% from 2025 to 2035, adding 5.9 million new jobs to total employment reaching 176.2 million, according to a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report. Despite the slower growth, certain industries are expected to expand at a rapid pace. The utility industry is set to lead hiring, with employment increasing by 9.8%, driven by the demand for electricity to power artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

Solar and wind electric power generation are among the sub-sectors with the most significant job growth, with solar electric power generation up 153% and wind electric power generation up 62%. Healthcare and social assistance will be the second-fastest growing sector, adding 2.2 million jobs, representing 37% of all new jobs created through 2035.

The aging population and rising chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, are driving this expansion. Within healthcare, nurse practitioners will see a 41% surge in employment, while medical and health services managers will grow by 24%. Even the tech industry, often associated with job loss due to AI, is poised for growth.

The professional, scientific, and technical services industry is projected to be the third-fastest growing sector, adding 926,700 jobs, with a 8.6% growth rate. This growth will stem from businesses leveraging AI tools to enhance operations and decision-making, leading to a 34.6% increase in demand for data scientists and a 21.8% rise for computer and information research scientists.

However, AI may also impact employment in some areas. The office and administrative support sector is expected to see a 4% drop, or 752,100 jobs, while the sales and related occupations sector will decline by 1.4% due to the expansion of e-commerce and increased use of AI in business processes. Despite these challenges, the overall outlook for AI remains positive, with AI leaders like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei acknowledging that the technology will not lead to an imminent jobs apocalypse.