14

New and Emerging

Occupations

Jerome Pikulinski

The process for developing the current and future employment estimates for established occupations is systematic—starting with collecting information on the current

workforce and concluding with analysis leading to projections of this employment. In addition to measuring employment for existing occupations, many consumers of data also

want information on new occupations. The Occupational

Employment Statistics (OES) survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides information about

new and emerging (N&E) occupations in addition to employment and wages estimates for established occupations.

Background

The identification of new occupations requires an understanding of the processes that create new forms of work in

our economy. These processes, shown in the diagram below, include new scientific discoveries, development of new

production technologies, new product market acceptance,

government regulatory requirements, research on and deGovernment Regulations Competitive Market Conditions

Scientific Discoveries Product Market Acceptance

New and Emerging Occupations

New Production Technologies

National Defense

velopment of national defense capabilities, and a variety of

competitive market conditions. By the time that one can conclusively confirm that there indeed is a new occupation in

the workforce, the occupation is often an accepted requirement in the evolving employment market. Because occupations tend to evolve in the processes identified above, new

job titles in related industries that appear in the OES survey

serve as clues to the identification of N&E occupations.

Sometimes, confusion can develop about how to interpret a job title. An occupational classification is a broad

concept that generally includes numerous job titles. On

one hand, a title may simply be a variation in the way of

naming an existing occupation. When a new title appears in

the workforce, it usually refers to a job that includes activities that relate to the definition of an existing occupation.

On the other hand, job titles and related descriptions may

be sufficiently explicit to suggest a skill departure from existing occupational classifications. Sometimes, the occupation title stays the same, but the core activities that define

the occupation change. In such cases, a determination must

be made as to whether the new title and duties constitute a

new occupation.

Jerome Pikulinski is an economist formerly in the Division of

Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
15

Relating the new title to knowledge of one or more of the

processes previously identified provides the clues needed

to treat the occupation as new and emerging. Occasionally,

a new occupation appears that has a new title and clearly has

activities that do not fall within the definition of any existing

occupation. Typically these new occupations are coded into

one of the residual classifications of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. In addition to jobs with

new titles and work activities, some occupations, though

not new, are migrating into new industries where the related

technologies and processes were not previously found.

Methodology

The observations in this article are based on data from establishments responding to the Occupational Employment

Statistics (OES) survey. This survey is conducted by the

State Workforce Agencies in cooperation with BLS. The

responding establishments complete survey forms, using a

limited list of occupations and their definitions. They indicate how many workers they have in these occupations by

specific wage intervals. They further provide the job title

and job definition for any worker not included in the list of

occupations on the form.

Labor market analysts in the States review the entries of

titles added to the survey form by respondents and determine the occupational classifications into which the data

should be placed. As indicated above, the occupational

classification structure used in the OES survey is the 2000

SOC system. Entries that cannot be assigned to a specific

detailed occupation usually are assigned to “all other” categories. These original entries include clues for identifying

N&E occupations. Sometimes, it is not clear which occupation the respondent entry relates to. If the State analyst

finds that the entry does not relate to any occupation in the

SOC, including the “all other” categories, he or she may

seek assistance from a BLS coding expert. These inquiries

provide other clues for identifying N&E occupations.

The information in this report was obtained from the 2001

OES survey. States sent the relevant survey entries dealing

with potentially new occupations to BLS. At BLS, the information is reviewed and grouped by potential occupation.

There is a great deal of judgement that must be used at every

stage of this process. As a result, there are no employment

estimates for these occupations. Nonetheless, the information provided can be useful to the overall effort of identifying N&E occupations.

In other words, the information provided in this report

consists simply of counts of observations made along the

way. In total, the number of questionnaire sheets that had

information about N&E occupations, 102, is estimated to be

much less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the total of reviewed supplemental sheets. This number was used in percent computations for chart 1, whereas counts and percentages in chart 2 are based on the distribution of a total of 526

workers who were found in N&E occupations.

Patterns of new and emerging occupations

The 102 selections of potential N&E occupations were analyzed as a group with respect to a variety of distributions:

Establishment size, industry, wage, regional, and classification distribution. When possible, comparisons include related distributions of national employment data.

Establishment size. Chart 1 shows that 50 percent of the

N&E occupations were reported by establishment units having fewer than 50 employees. More than 90 percent of the

establishments were in the category having fewer than 50

employees. It appears that small establishments, by virtue

of their numbers in this interval, have an edge in the creation

of N&E occupations. These surveyed units could have been

either small establishments or special operating units within

larger firms. The lowest percentage of N&E occupations

was reported by firms with more than 1,000 employees. However, larger firms contribute a higher proportion of N&E jobs

relative to the number of establishments their size.

There is another comparison to be made between the relative total employment of firms and the incidence of employment in N&E occupations by firm size. Chart 2 shows that, in

the category of establishments with fewer than 50 employees, employment in N&E occupations is a higher proportion

of total N&E employment than it is of national employment

in that size category. The same is true in the category of

establishments with 50 to 99 employees. This suggests that

firms with 100 or more employees do not generate N&E occupations in proportion to their representation in total national employment.

Industry distribution. New and emerging occupations occur

in a number of industries. More than 60 percent of the N&E

occupations arise in services. (See chart 3.) This dominant

major industry group includes health, social services, legal

assistance, and education. Examples of N&E occupations

include tissue process technicians, hazardous materials drivers, and genetic counselors, among others. In addition, services includes personal, business, and amusement and recreation services.

Manufacturing, primarily in durable goods, is the second

largest source of N&E occupations. Wholesale and retail

trade continue to be a source of new and emerging occupations. Other noteworthy industries include transportation,

communications, and utilities.

Wage distribution. One-half of the reported new and emerging occupations are found in the group of wage ranges under $17. The N&E occupations in the two highest wage

categories include researchers in ultrasound and transducer

technology, compliance engineers, chief software architects,

and technology managers.

The wage data reported here are the modal values of wages

reported for each N&E occupation. The distribution shown

in the chart 4 approaches a normal one. There is some skewing toward the low end of the range.
16

Regional distribution. Chart 5 indicates that some regions

of the country may account for a larger percent of N&E occupations. The number of such occupations is relatively

high in Western and Southwestern States and low in Southeastern and Midwestern States, compared to the total

workforce employed.2 The N&E occupational data reported

in this chart are based on counts of job titles in each region.

SOC distribution. From an occupational classification perspective, the pattern of N&E occupations consists of a complex distribution that cuts across previously noted industry

patterns. (See chart 6.) The 2001 N&E data showed a number

of production occupations that cut across industries. Study

and experience continue to show that, within industry classifications, many positions fall into occupational patterns

that cut across industry lines. For example, production occupations were found in the construction, manufacturing,

and wholesale trade industries, but the manufacturing industry also employs managers; installation, maintenance,

and repair personnel; transportation workers; and personnel

to staff business and financial operations. These occupations, in turn, are common to many other industries.

Summary of patterns in N&E occupations

The patterns noted in the 2001 OES data indicate that most

N&E occupations appeared in firms with fewer than 100 employees. No single industry dominated in the creation and

growth of these occupations. More than one-half of these

were distributed among human services, transportation, communications, business and personal services, and a wide

variety of wholesale and retail trade activities. Slightly more

than half of all N&E occupations were paid in a range of

$8.50 to $17. No State dominated in the creation of N&E

occupations. No single occupation classification dominated

the field of N&E occupations; however, healthcare, management, and production occupations were the three most frequent occupational classifications observed.

Developments in particular occupational groups

Lists of specific occupations that are new or emerging are

presented in the following sections.

Occupations in the construction field

• Metal stud framer

• Epoxy floor installers

2

 The regions in Chart 5 are defined as follows: Western: Alaska,

Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, and

Washington. Southwestern: Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana,

Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Southeastern: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North

Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Mid-Atlantic: Delaware,

District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia,

and West Virginia. New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

New building systems, particularly in commercial construction, and increased use of new materials explain the

appearance of new occupations in the traditional construction industry.

Occupations in the field of educational services

• School diagnosticians

• Home-school liaison

• Adaptive physical education specialist

• Technology infusion specialist

• Distance learning coordinators

• Director of technology

• Poison information specialist

• Technology coordinator

• Poison information technician

• Athletic compliance coordinator

Education continues to create N&E occupations. Some

of these arise in connection with the objective of tailoring

educational services to students’ special needs. Others are

associated with the use of improved telecommunication applications to deliver education. The spread of technology

and its general uses in education explain the creation of other

specialist occupations. Governmental regulations governing athletic and other physical education programs have

contributed to the creation of other occupations in special

education and the administration of athletic programs.

Health services occupations

• Monitor technicians

• Medical specimen couriers

• Patient-care technicians

• Urine sample collectors

• Polysomnographic technicians

• Tissue process technicians

• CRN anesthesiologist

• Tissue and eye bank technicians

• Spiritual caregiver

• Tissue service coordinator

• Genetic counselor

• Sanitization technician

• Medical certification clerk

• Plasma processor

• Schedulers for surgical cases

• Night monitors

In the health field, N&E occupations have addressed specialized patient care, continuing responses to advancing

medical technologies, improved scheduling of surgical pro-
17

cedures, and alternative medical service delivery approaches.

Increased attention has been directed toward management

and care of tissue banks. In light of recent genome developments, genetic counselors are appearing upon the medical

scene.

Social service occupations

• Bill review nurse

• Adult protective services

• Energy auditor

• HazMat drivers

• Weatherization director

• Director, information management

• Cheer workers

• Disaster preparedness staff

There are several groups of occupations in social services—nurses and information management workers employed in new fields; workers helping seniors and others in

their homes; and disaster preparedness staff. Nurses continue to be employed in areas other than those directly related to providing clinical care services, primarily in the control of medical costs. In addition, a new occupation for nurses

was found in the legal field, where they are employed as legal

nurse staff specialists. Information management, like nursing, is not a new field, but one that continues to appear in a

number of new industry settings. Senior and disabled persons are creating situations calling for cheer workers, who

provide opportunities for therapeutic interaction, and others, who investigate charges and complaints of mistreatment. 

Drivers qualified to deliver hazardous materials may provide

oxygen to residences and other service locations. Providing

services for the insulation and heating of residences has

created occupations in weatherization and heating cost recovery. Finally, increased awareness of disaster preparedness is driving the creation of related positions. 

Transportation occupations

• Horsedrawn carriage drivers

• Handicapped bus aides

Clearly carriage driver is not a new occupation; however,

its appearance in connection with the development of urban

entertainment districts makes this occupation noteworthy.

Attention to the mobility needs of handicapped persons has

contributed to the creation of aide occupations to assist

them on buses.

Service occupations

• Surveillance person

• Producer-Internet provider (ISP)

• Psychic counselors

• Chief software architect

• Matchmakers

• Web analyst

• Bar-proof checker

• Digital imagers and modelers

• Customer insight analyst

• Interactive media planner

• Senior supply chain manager

• Televideo engineer

• Divers—underwater inspectors

A variety of service occupations are appearing. Some

deal with security needs. Others reflect cultural attitudes

about future uncertainties or finding a mate. Applications of

behavioral science to marketing are creating other kinds of

marketing research jobs. The continuing drive to improve

the efficiency of manufacturing operations through better

material management has created specialist positions. Increased attention to national security has created highly

specialized underwater inspection jobs at docks and ports.

Of special note are the employment effects of the Internet

and telecommunication technologies. A variety of new, specialized occupations continue to appear as a result of these,

such as producers for Internet service provider sites, Web

analysts who study utilization patterns, and interactive media planners. The pattern in development of these N&E

occupations appears to have its parallel in the development

of new occupations that followed the introduction of automotive technology. The latter industry has continued to

contribute to N&E occupations for more than 100 years. The

same engine for job innovation seems to be developing within

the Internet and telecommunication industries.

Engineering services and manufacturing

occupations

• Hazardous material engineer

• Neon glass benders

• Compliance engineer

• Cultured marble caster

• Laser engineer

• Glue mixer

• Optical design engineer

• Perfumers

• Optical engineer

• Translators

• Roof truss designers

• Missile specialists

• Pharmacokineticist

• Truss layout and assembly workers

New materials and processes have contributed to the creation of new occupations, while the regulatory concern for
18

the associated environmental and health impacts of these

have created additional occupations. The use of lasers and

various optical technologies continues to generate new occupations. Use of manufactured housing components has

produced both design and production occupations. The drug

industry has seen the creation of an occupation, pharmacokineticist, concerned with establishing dosage standards

related to the drug availability of retained drug dosages in

patients.

Some occupations are not new but are once again emerging due to consumer preferences. The cultural resurgence

of neon lighting has created the need for neon benders. 

Market demand for cast marble surfaces has resulted in more

work for those who cast it. Finally, the growth of small-scale

perfume distributors has led to growth in employment of

perfume mixers.

Other occupations that are not new but are emerging in

engineering and sciences include translators, as manufacturers’ foreign markets and contacts increase. The maintenance and renewal of U.S. national defense capabilities

have contributed to the expanded employment of missile

specialists.

Summary and conclusions

The “supplemental sheet” data from the 2001 OES survey

have yielded a number of observations about potentially

new and emerging occupations. As pointed out in the methodology discussion above, the methods employed to analyze these developments more closely resemble case study

techniques. No claim is made about statistical significance

and reliability; however, comparisons with total employment

patterns suggest the reasonableness of the observations. A

number of occupations have been highlighted to substantiate patterns with specific details.

If any conclusions are possible, they are that new and

emerging occupations are being created throughout the

economy, in many industries and in many States. To identify

these new and emerging occupations, it is necessary to monitor developments in a number of areas: Scientific discoveries, new production technologies, market acceptance of new

products, competitive market conditions, national defense,

and government regulations. With respect to new and emerging occupations, new technologies and increasing human

needs serve as the engine and fuel for their creation and

expansion.

N&E

National establishment count

100

90

80

70

60

50

0

Chart 1. Distribution of new and emerging occupations by

establishment class size, 2001

10

20

30

40

1-49

workers

50-99

workers

100-249

workers

250-999

workers

1,000 workers

or more

Percent

Establishment size
19

Chart 3. N&E and National Em ploym ent by SIC

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Services M anufacturing W holesale &

Retail Trade

Con stru ction &

M ining

Tra nspo rta tion &

Public Utilities

Public

Adm inistration

Finance,

Insurance & R eal

Estate 

Ag ricultu ral

Production

M ajor SIC G roup

Percent

Chart 3. New and emerging employment totals and national

employment by SIC group

70

60

10

20

0

30

40

50

N&E

National

Services Manufacturing

Wholesale and

retail

trade

Construction and

mining

Agricultural

production

Transportation and

public

utilities

Public

administration

Finance,

insurance

and real

estate

Major SIC group

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1-49 50-99 100-248 250-999 1000 & Over

Employment Sze

Percent

10-49

workers

Percent

Chart 2. New and emerging employment totals and national

employment by employment size

45

40

35

20

30

10

0

25

15

5

1-9

workers

50-249

workers

250-999

workers

1,000 workers

or more

N&E

National

Employment size
20

C h a rt 4 . R e la tiv e d is trib u tio n o f N & E o c c u p a tio n s b y s u rv e y w a g e ra n g e

0

2

4

6

8

1 0

1 2

1 4

1 6

1 8

Under

6 .7 5

6 .7 5 - 8 .49 8 .50 -

1 0 .7 4

1 0 .7 5 -

1 3 .49

1 3 .50 -

16 .9 9

1 7.0 0 -

2 1 .4 9

2 1 .5 0 -

2 7 .2 4

2 7 .25 -

34 .4 9

34 .5 0 -

4 3 .7 4

4 3 .7 5 -

5 5.4 9

5 5 .5 0 -

6 9 .9 9

7 0.0 0 a nd

over

S u rvey w a ge rang e

Percent of N&E occupations

Chart 4. Relative distribution of new and emerging occupations

by survey wage range

18

14

8

12

4

Percent of N&E occupations

10

6

2

16

0

Under

$6.75

$70.00

and

over

$55.50-

$69.99

$43.75-

$55.49

$34.50-

$43.74

$27.25-

$34.49

$6.75-

$8.49

$8.50

$10.74

$10.75-

$13.49

$13.50-

$16.99

$17.00-

$21.49

$21.50-

$27.24

Wage range

C ha rt 5 . R e g io n a l D is trib u tio n o f N & E O c c u p a tion s a n d N a tio na l E m plo ym e n t

0

5

1 0

1 5

2 0

2 5

3 0

W e stern S o u thw e ste rn N e w E n g la nd M idA tla n tic M id w e st S ou th ea ste rn

R egion

Percent

Percent

Chart 5. Regional distribution of new and emerging occupations

and national employment

30

25

20

0

15

10

5

Western Southwestern

New

England

MidAtlanticSoutheastern

N&E

National

Midwest

Region
21

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Legal

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Sales and Related

Protective Service

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Construction and extraction

Education, Training and Library

Physical and Social Science

Transportation and Material Moving

Healthcare Support

Community and Social Services

Food Preparation and Serving Related

Computer and Mathematical Science

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

Management

Architecture and Engineering

Business and Financial Operations

Office and Administrative Support

Healthcare Practitioner and Technical

Production

Percent distribution

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Chart 6. Relative distribution of new and emerging occupations by major SOC title

Sales and related

Protective service

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Construction and extraction

Transportation and material moving

Healthcare support

Community and social services

Food preparation and serving related

Computer and mathematical science

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

Management

Archictecture and engineering

Business and financial operations

Office and administrative support

Healthcare practitioner and technical

Legal

Production

Education, training, and library

Physical and social science

Farming, fishing, and forestry