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Table 1.  Fastest growing occupations covered in the 1996-97 Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1994-2005.
Table 2.  Occupations covered in the 1996-1997 Occupational Outlook Handbook

Technical Information:                (202) 606-5700      USDL: 96-78
 
Media Contact:                        (202) 606-5902      For release:  Immediate
                                                          Friday, March 15, 1996
 
 
 
             50 YEARS IN PRINT: 1996-97 EDITION OF THE OCCUPATIONAL
                         OUTLOOK HANDBOOK PUBLISHED
 
 
   For 50 years, the Occupational Outlook Handbook has provided occupational
outlook information for use in counseling about the world of work.
The 1996-97 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the 22nd since 1946,
presents the expected employment changes in nearly 250 occupations between now
 and the year 2005 and the qualifications that will be needed for them.
 
   The Handbook, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department
of Labor, is especially geared toward junior and senior high school students,
but also can be a valuable guide for people already working who want to, or
need to, change their careers.  Readers are told not only which occupations
will provide large numbers of openings, but which will grow most rapidly,
often reflecting opportunities from newer technologies.
 
   Different factors affect the nation's occupational needs.  The fastest
growing occupations are influenced by both changing demographics and
technology.  (See table 1.)  The aging of the U.S. population, as well as
medical advancements, are driving the need for homemaker-home health aides and
many other health occupations.  The continuing spread of computer technology
provides the impetus for rapid growth for computer scientists and
systems analysts.
 
   On the other hand, large numbers of persons will be required in more
traditional jobs, such as teachers, retail salespersons, janitors, and
cashiers.  Table 2 shows the occupations with the largest job growth.  Many of
these occupations are not projected to grow especially rapidly, but because
they employ many people, they are expected to provide large numbers of job
openings.  It is noteworthy that, because both homemaker-home health aides and
computer scientists and systems analysts are big occupations, they happen to
head both the list of fastest growing and the list of occupations with the
largest job growth.
 
   To help make decisions about courses to take, training or schooling beyond
high school, or post-graduate study, the Handbook also describes for each
occupation what workers do on the job, the training and education needed,
earnings, and working conditions.
 
   The 1996-97 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook includes
introductory chapters providing an overview of the factors underlying job
prospects and describing additional sources of career-related materials.
 
   The first Handbook, called "Occupational Outlook Information," issued in
August 1946, was prepared at the request and under the financial support of
the Veteran's Administration to make information available to World War II
veterans about the need for general education and for trained personnel in
various occupations.  In answer to many requests, an Occupational Outlook
Handbook was published in the spring of 1949 and made available for sale to
the public. Subsequent editions of the Handbook were published in 1951, 1957,
1959, 1961, 1963, and biennially in even numbered years since 1966.
 
   Readers interested in the economic assumptions underlying the specific
industry and occupational employment projections should consult Bulletin 2472,
Employment Outlook: 1994-2005, Job Quality and Other Aspects of Projected
Employment Growth.  Chapter I of this bulletin presents highlights of the
projections.  Chapter II identifies the industry-occupational concentration of
employment change, 1994-2005.  Chapter III looks at the educational
requirements of jobs.  Chapter IV examines job quality as measured by
earnings. Chapter V relates projections of jobs to changes in the composition
of the labor force.
 
   Both the Handbook and the bulletin can be purchased from the BLS
Publications Sales Center, P.O. Box 2145, Chicago, IL 60690-2145,
phone (312) 353-1880, or the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402, phone (202) 512-1800.
The 512-page 1996-97 edition of the Occupational Outlook Handbook with a soft
cover costs $32; a hard cover version is $38.  Employment
Projections: 1994-2005, Job Quality and Other Aspects of Projected Employment
Growth, Bulletin 2472, costs $5.50.  Payment can be made by VISA,
MasterCard, GPO Account, or check or money order.  Make checks payable to the
Superintendent of Documents.
Table 1.  Fastest growing occupations covered in the 1996-97 Occupational Outlook Handbook, 1994-2005.
 
 
                                                  Change in employment, 1994-2005
                                                         Percent   Numerical
Homemaker-home health aides                                107     640,000
Computer scientists and systems analysts                    91     755,000
Physical therapy assistants and aides                       83      64,000
Occupational therapy assistants and aides                   82      13,000
Physical therapists                                         80      81,000
Human services workers                                      75     125,000
Services sales representatives                              72     441,000
Occupational therapists                                     72      39,000
Medical assistants                                          59     121,000
Paralegals                                                  58      64,000
 
Medical record technicians                                  56      45,000
Special education teachers                                  53     206,000
Correctional officers                                       51     158,000
Operations research analysts                                50      22,000
Guards                                                      48     415,000
Speech-language pathologists and audiologists               46      39,000
Private detectives and investigators                        44      24,000
Surgical technologists                                      43      19,000
Dental assistants                                           42      79,000
Dental hygienists                                           42      53,000
 
General office clerks                                       41      26,000
Teacher aides                                               39     364,000
Securities and financial services sales representatives     37      90,000
Emergency medical technicians                               36      49,000
Respiratory therapists                                      36      26,000
Management analysts and consultants                         35      82,000
Radiologic technologists                                    35      59,000
Employment interviewers                                     35      27,000
Social workers                                              34     187,000
Preschool teachers and child-care workers                   33     358,000
Restaurant and food service managers                        33     192,000
 
Table 2.  Occupations covered in the 1996-1997 Occupational Outlook Handbook
with the largest job growth, 1994-2005.
 
                                                   Change in employment, 1994-2005
                                                         Percent   Numerical
Computer scientists and systems analysts                     91     755,000
Homemaker-home health aides                                 107     640,000
School teachers--Kindergarten, elementary, and secondary     22     634,000
Retail sales workers                                         14     584,000
Janitors and cleaners and cleaning supervisors               18     582,000
Cashiers                                                     19     562,000
Food and beverage service workers                            12     537,000
Chefs, cooks, and other kitchen workers                      16     502,000
Registered nurses                                            25     473,000
Handlers, equipment cleaners, helpers, and laborers          10     471,000
 
General managers and top executives                          15     466,000
Services sales representatives                               72     441,000
Guards                                                       48     415,000
Nursing aides and psychiatric aides                          29     400,000
Secretaries                                                  12     390,000
Teacher aides                                                39     364,000
Preschool teachers and child-care workers                    33     358,000
Information clerks                                           24     355,000
Receptionists                                                31     318,000
Truckdrivers                                                 10     299,000
 
Adjusters, investigators, and collectors                     22     285,000
Clerical supervisors and managers                            19     261,000
Engineers                                                    19     246,000
General maintenance mechanics                                18     231,000
Special education teachers                                   53     206,000
Licensed practical nurses                                    28     197,000
Restaurant and food service managers                         33     192,000
Social workers                                               34     187,000
Lawyers and judge                                            25     183,000
Financial managers                                           24     182,000