In light of the rapid advancements that AI tools have made since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022, people have been pondering the potential of artificial intelligence to replace certain occupations, trying to figure out if and how the nascent technology will change the way people work.

And while the focus of discussions like this is often on the risk of certain jobs being replaced by emerging technologies, these shifts, as well as societal changes, usually offer new employment opportunities as well.

Think of the rise of e-commerce for example: while it has led to a decline in retail jobs and is projected to continue to do so, it has supported strong job growth in transportation and warehousing and still does. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Projections, transportation and material moving will be among the faster-growing occupational groups for the coming decade as well, projected to add 580,000 jobs by 2034, with warehouse workers and truck drivers particularly in demand.

But as Statista's Felix Richter shows in the chart below, by far the biggest increase in employment is expected in the healthcare and social assistance sector, which is driven less by technological changes and more by demographic shifts.

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Due to the ageing population and the growing prevalence of chronic conditions, the wider healthcare sector is projected to account for 1.7 million new jobs by 2034, making up one third of all new jobs expected by the end of the projection period.

Looking at individual occupations, this trend is also evident, with home health and personal care aids projected to be by far the fastest-growing occupation over the next decade, adding 740,000 jobs by 2034. With registered nurses, medical and health service managers as well as nurse practitioners also in the top 10, it’s clear that the health sector as a whole is going to be a major driver of employment growth in the near future.

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