2006–2016 Economic and Employment Projections — 2007-12-04

Projections of industry and occupational employment, labor force, and economic growth covering the 2006-16 decade were released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor. The 10-year projections are widely used in career guidance, in education and training program planning, and in studying long-range employment trends. The pro- jections, which are updated every 2 years, continue a 60-year tradition of providing information to individuals who are making education and training choices, entering the job market, or changing careers. Over the 2006-16 decade, total employment is projected to increase by 15.6 million jobs, or 10 percent, slightly less than the 15.9 million jobs, or 12 percent, during the 1996-2006 decade. The labor force filling these jobs, while becoming more racially and ethnically diverse, is projected to grow more slowly than in the past. This slowdown in the growth of the labor force is expected, in part, because of the aging and retiring of baby boomers.