What Are the Most In-Demand Jobs in 2021?

According to a recent economic report, there are 8.6 million people who are considered out-of-work in the United States, but almost 10 million job openings. 

Employers face a unique situation, and they’re unsure how to fill many of the most in-demand roles. 

Companies have been trying to attract employees with signing bonuses, flexible work arrangements, and higher salaries. The job market may be changed permanently by COVID-19, however. 

Analysts say it’s a complex job market, with 6.1 million fewer Americans working currently compared to right before the pandemic in February 2020. 

If you are ready to look for a new job, it could be a great time. 

So what are some of the most in-demand jobs currently?

Truck Driving

There is a significant truck driver shortage affecting the U.S. right now. Employers are paying more and still not finding relief to fill available trucking jobs. There have been considerable increases in online ordering during the pandemic, so the demand for delivery truck drivers is sky-high. Despite higher pay and recruiting efforts, there are still many vacancies in long-distance trucking. 

CR England, a major truckload company, announced in the spring of this year a third pay hike over the past three years, increasing drivers’ pay by more than 50% compared to 2018. 

eCommerce Employees

eCommerce businesses are growing tremendously, and hiring for roles related to online shopping and retail went up 73% year-over-year. There are more than 400,000 jobs related to eCommerce available right now. 

These are a wide variety of roles. For example, some of the particular job roles in eCommerce that most need to be filled include drivers, which was touched on above, package handlers, and supply chain associates. 

Healthcare Workers

It’s probably not incredibly surprising that a worldwide pandemic has led to a growing need for healthcare workers. There was already a strain in the industry before the COVID-19 pandemic, and now many healthcare providers and, in particular nurses are leaving their jobs. There are many reasons for this including the stress the pandemic has created and growing demands because of labor shortages. 

The demand for workers in the healthcare industry isn’t just in hospitals but also in nursing homes and clinics. 

Physicians and nurse practitioners are highly in-demand, as are health care support staff. 

Texas, California, and New York are leading with the most demand for healthcare professionals of all types and in all specialties. 

Digital Marketing and Content

Digital marketing and content are two separate professional areas, but they can tie in with one another. Digital markers and content creators were in demand before the pandemic, but now hiring has quickly accelerated. 

If you have digital marketing skills, whether that’s analyzing data or creating copy, you may find that now is an excellent time to search for employment. 

Much of our lives shifted online during COVID, and now that we see a global resurgence with the delta variant, this is likely to maintain. 

Data Science

Data is a major driver of business growth and how companies of all sizes gain a competitive edge. Data science helps companies in all industries understand and then leverage data. 

There was an estimated 46% increase in data science roles recently.

Educators

Like some of what’s happened in healthcare, many educators have taken time off during the pandemic and some may not return. There are so many reasons for this, from family duties that changed to retirement. 

Hiring professionals in education grew more than 20% between 2019 and 2020 and that was before we factored in the pandemic’s effects. 

The most in-demand education job titles include elementary school teachers, curriculum developers, and teaching assistants. 

Mental Health Professionals

The past two years have been incredibly difficult on the world, and the effects on mental health have been staggering. Hiring for mental health professionals has gone up almost 24% year-over-year. 

This is likely a trend not only because of the mental health effects of the pandemic itself but also because more companies are offering virtual and telehealth services for mental health and they need to fill roles as they grow. 

Specific job titles seeing a lot of growth including behavior therapist, psychotherapist, and mental health technician. 

Retail Workers

Retail workers have been notoriously underpaid and not always treated well, but as they quit their jobs in record numbers, that could change. 

Retail companies are offering a premium for people willing to work for them right now, and retailer workers may have the chance to rewrite the rules.