ADVANCED ENGLISH Student Worksheet 1

Module 2 • Career Trends Set A: Reading

Name:

The Changing World of Work

Our world is changing very quickly and so is the way we work. An economic recession, like the one of December
2007-June 2009, had a serious effect on the economy and on employment. Other factors that influence the job
market are changes in consumer demands and advances in technology.

In 2012, the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics published its projections about how job
growth in the United States is expected to vary in industries between 2010 and 2020. Because these projections
are constantly updated, the information may change.

1. Goods-Producing Industries
Numeric change in wage and salary employment
On the whole, employment in these industries in goods-producing industries, 2010-2020 (projected)
is expected to increase by 1.7 million new jobs.
The main cause of this is the rapid growth in Construction 1,840
construction. However, in other production
industries, employment is expected to either Mining, quarrying, and
25
decline or remain the same. oil and gas extraction

a. Construction
Due to the recession in the U.S., 2.2 million -48 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

construction jobs were lost from 2006 to 2010.

This industry is expected to recover and grow,
-73 Manufacturing
adding about 1.8 million jobs by 2020, which is
a rise of 33%.
-500 0 500 1,000 -1,500 2,000
b. Mining, Quarrying, and Oil Thousands of jobs
and Gas Extraction Source: BLS National Employment Matrix

Because of the increase in oil and gas

consumption in the world, the extraction of oil and gas is expected to grow. A similar increase
in nonmetal mineral mining is predicted. However, due to technological advances that improve
productivity, employment in coal and metal ore mining is on the decline.

c. Manufacturing
During the recession, 2.6 million workers in the manufacturing industry lost their jobs. This trend is
expected to continue. Automation and international competition are likely to result in an overall
1% decline in employment. Computer and electronic manufacturing is predicted to drop by 14%.
Machinery, apparel and chemical manufacturing are also expected to decline. However, growth of
12% is anticipated in metal product manufacturing.

d. Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

Jobs in these fields are expected to decline by 4% by 2020. An increasing number of small farms,
organizations and companies are consolidating in order to meet rising production costs and to improve
productivity. Although jobs in logging are expected to increase by 6%, this is only a small sector of the
industry.

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ADVANCED ENGLISH Student Worksheet 1
Module 2 • Career Trends Set A: Reading
Name:

The Changing World of Work (continued)

2. Service-Providing Industries
These industries are expected to provide about 18 million new jobs.

Numeric change in wage and salary employment

in service-producing industries, 2010-2020 (projected)
Healthcare and social assistance 5,704
Professional, scientific and technical services 2,128
Educational services 1,845
Retail trade 1,769
Administrative and support and waste
management and remediation 1,579
Accommodation and food services 1,002
Transportation and warehousing 853
Other services (except public administration) 822
Wholesale trade 744
Finance and insurance 505
Arts, entertainment and recreation 341
Real estate and rental and leasing 275
Government 180
Information 140
Management of companies and enterprises 103
Utilities

-1,000 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000

Source: BLS National Employment Matrix Thousands of jobs

Growth is anticipated in all service-providing industries. Some of these are:

a. Healthcare and Social Assistance

About 28% of all new jobs created in the U.S. are expected to be in the healthcare industry. The
enormous growth will be driven by an increasing elderly population with longer life expectancies, as
well as new medical treatments and technologies. These jobs are in public and private hospitals, care
facilities, and individual or family services.

b. Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

An overall 29% growth is expected in this industry. An increasing demand for better computer
network and mobile technologies will result in an increase of 47% in jobs in computer systems design.
Employment related to these new technologies, namely jobs in management and technical consulting
services, is expected to expand by 58%.

c. Educational Services
Due to the rising population, the number of students studying at all levels will increase. Therefore it is
predicted that the number of jobs in public and private educational services will grow by 14%.

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ADVANCED ENGLISH Student Worksheet 1
Module 2 • Career Trends Set A: Reading
Name:

The Changing World of Work (continued)

d. Accommodation and Food Services
A growing population and increasing desire to eat out are likely to result in a 9% rise in jobs in food
and accommodation services, such as restaurants and hotels.

e. Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

Many jobs were lost in this industry as a result of the recession. However, a recovery is expected from
2010 to 2020, with a 14% increase in employment in real estate and leasing. This is because of the
increasing demand for housing which reflects the expanding population.

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ADVANCED ENGLISH Student Worksheet 2
Module 2 • Career Trends Set A: Reading
Name:

Scanning the Article

What does each of the numbers in the table refer to?

the expected in
1.7 million
between 2010 and 2020

1.8 million

1%

12%

4%

28%

29%

47%

9%

14%

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ADVANCED ENGLISH Student Worksheet 3
Module 2 • Career Trends Set A: Reading
Name:

The Changing World of Work: A Summary

Predicted
Occupation(s) Possible Reason for Change
Change

Computer systems designers

Real estate agents

Teachers and educators

Farmers

Computer and
electronic manufacturers

Nurses, medical assistants

and aides

Coal and
metal ore miners

Restaurant and
hotel workers

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