Future trends can help local government agencies, non-profit agencies, researchers and other interested parties to formulate plans and proposals. But, it is important to keep in mind that projections are just one planning tool and that the estimates are based on information available at the time the forecast was made. If an industry shows a decrease in future employment, it may be that only one or two industry components are experiencing the decline and other components are still expected to hire new workers. It is best to investigate all sectors of the industry. Although an industry may be stable and is not expected to grow, it does not mean that there are no opportunities for employment.
All industries have turnover opportunities.
Individuals change or leave their jobs permanently for varying reasons. High turnover, especially in industries that require lower-skill levels, would mean that there are frequent openings even though there is little or no growth. Industries have varying levels of growth. Not all industry sectors, such as in retail trade or in services industries, grow at the same rate, nor are all sectors located in every county. An individual interested in working in a particular industry may have limited opportunities in a small rural county, for example.