See which jobs are forecast to grow fastest — and slowest — over the next decade

August 28, 2026 / 4:29 PM EDT / CBS News

America's aging population and the rising incidence of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes are projected to create millions of healthcare and social assistance jobs over the next decade, according to new government labor data.

Employment in the sector is projected to grow 9.5%, adding 2.2 million jobs, from 2025 to 2035, the Labor Department forecasts. That accounts for roughly 37% of all new U.S. jobs over that period, the agency estimates.

The fastest-growing U.S. industry over the next decade is likely to be utilities, driven by growing demand for energy needed to power artificial intelligence. The Labor Department projects that sector will expand by 9.8% through 2035. But that growth is projected to add only 58,800 jobs over 10 years, given the modest size of the utilities sector.

Growing demand for AI-based systems and tools, as well as research and development in the burgeoning AI space, is also expected to create nearly 927,000 jobs in the professional, scientific and technical services sector.

"A lot of those nearly 1 million jobs relate to AI demand. It's your software developers, consultants and engineers," Breyon Williams, chief labor…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/