Employers seek social, fundamental and analytical job skills | Pew Research Center
The U.S. economy employed nearly 156 million workers in 2018 in the midst of a record long spell of job creation. The jobs these workers did are different from what workers had done a few decades ago. Opportunities in the manufacturing sector have diminished, shrunken by a rising tide of automation and globalization. Meanwhile, the growing demand for a college education and the emergence of Millennials have fueled growth in the education sector. And the aging Baby Boomers have created an appetite for more health care workers. Viewed through the lens of skills, a sizable plurality of workers are engaged in occupations in which socials skills are most important, such as nursing and retail sales. In 2018, 42% of all workers, or 65 million, held jobs in which social skills are most important. In contrast, only 19% of workers were employed in occupations in which social skills are least important. Fundamental skills are also in relatively high demand. Some 33% of workers were employed in oc
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