As technology continues to reshape industries, many traditional jobs are becoming obsolete. The rapid expansion of digital services and automation is eliminating roles that were once considered essential.
One of the most impacted professions is mail carrier, a job that has suffered significant declines due to the rise of email, automated bill payments, and digital communication.
According to the 2024 CareerCast Jobs Rated Report, mail carriers rank last in job growth outlook, with a projected 30% decline in employment by 2032, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
For those already working in the industry, the profession remains stable—for now. In late 2022, when the U.S. Postal Service faced financial struggles, the National Association of Letter Carriers pointed to a $25 billion pension surplus to reassure workers. However, opportunities for new mail carriers are disappearing rapidly.
Mail carriers are just one of many casualties of the digital revolution, with one common theme uniting the most endangered jobs: paper dependency.
Newspaper reporters are also experiencing rapid declines in employment, with print advertising revenue plummeting over 30% since 2010. Layoffs have become frequent, and newsroom closures are commonplace.
“When I started out, I thought I’d work my way up to an editor role. But after a decade, I realized how few jobs remained,” says Nate, a former journalist who transitioned to public relations in 2011, the same year 152 newspapers ceased operations nationwide.
Readers are not abandoning the news, but they are choosing digital platforms over print.
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This shift from print to digital is also impacting the logging industry, which supplies the wood pulp used in paper production.
“The demand for paper has fallen dramatically, and it’s taking the logging industry down with it,” says Eric Johnson, publisher of Northern Logger.
As a result, employment in logging is expected to decline by 9% over the next decade.
Printers are also feeling the effects of this transformation. Denny Daniel, a former print shop worker, recalls how he saw the writing on the wall:
“A friend suggested I take a job at a copy shop while figuring out my next move. Business was slow, so I taught myself digital editing. Now, I work freelance on video and photography projects for clients like MTV.”
But paper-related jobs are not the only ones at risk.
Advancements in technology have eliminated the need for meter readers, as utility companies switch to smart meters that automatically send real-time data. This shift is expected to reduce employment for meter readers by 19% over the next decade.
Even farming jobs, once a cornerstone of the workforce, are disappearing due to automation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that farm workers are producing more with fewer employees, as AI-driven technology streamlines agriculture.
The job market is evolving at an unprecedented pace. While new career opportunities are emerging, many traditional professions are facing extinction. Those in endangered fields must adapt to stay ahead of the changing workforce landscape.
The Most Endangered Jobs of 2024
1. Retail Cashier
BLS Annual Median Salary: $29,410
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -10%
The rise of self-checkout kiosks, mobile payment apps, and e-commerce is reducing the need for traditional cashiers. Major retailers are shifting toward automated checkout systems to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
“Automation is replacing cashiers at a rapid pace, with self-checkout and AI-powered payment processing taking over,” reports the BLS.
2. Telemarketer
BLS Annual Median Salary: $29,000
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -22%
Advancements in robocall technology, AI chatbots, and increasing regulatory restrictions on telemarketing have caused a steep decline in this profession. The effectiveness of telemarketing campaigns has also diminished due to caller ID screening and spam filters.
“The ability to block unknown calls and the decline of landline usage have severely impacted job prospects in this field,” says career analyst Mark Hayes.
3. Bank Teller
BLS Annual Median Salary: $36,310
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -17%
The growth of mobile banking, ATMs, and online financial services has significantly decreased the need for traditional bank tellers. Many banks are reducing staff and closing physical branches in favor of digital-first banking experiences.
“Customers now prefer online transactions and mobile banking apps, making the traditional bank teller role less essential,” states a 2024 industry report.
4. Data Entry Clerk
BLS Annual Median Salary: $35,160
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -25%
AI-driven automation and optical character recognition (OCR) software have made manual data entry increasingly obsolete. Companies now use AI-powered tools to streamline their data processing needs, reducing reliance on human workers.
“The introduction of AI-based data automation tools has significantly decreased the demand for clerical data entry jobs,” notes the BLS.
5. Newspaper Reporter
BLS Annual Median Salary: $49,300
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -18%
With the shift to digital media and independent online news sources, print journalism continues to struggle. Declining ad revenue and mass layoffs in traditional news organizations have made this job highly endangered.
“The traditional newspaper industry is facing a crisis, with more publishers moving to online content models or closing altogether,” says media analyst Sarah Lopez.
6. Travel Agent
BLS Annual Median Salary: $46,400
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -20%
Consumers now book flights, hotels, and vacation packages directly through online travel agencies (OTAs) and AI-driven assistants. As a result, human travel agents are no longer as essential as they once were.
“The internet has made travel planning easy and accessible, eliminating the need for traditional travel agents in most cases,” according to a report by the BLS.
7. Printing Press Operator
BLS Annual Median Salary: $41,320
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -28%
With the decline of print media, newspapers, and physical advertisements, demand for printing press operators has plummeted. Digital publishing and advertising have taken over, further decreasing the need for this profession.
“Print media is no longer the dominant force in publishing, leading to a drastic decline in jobs for printing press operators,” says industry expert Tom Benson.
8. Assembly Line Worker
BLS Annual Median Salary: $39,510
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -19%
Advancements in robotics and AI-driven manufacturing have made human assembly line workers less essential. Automated systems can now perform repetitive tasks with greater speed and accuracy, reducing demand for manual labor.
“Automation in factories has revolutionized production efficiency, making many assembly line jobs obsolete,” says a manufacturing sector report.
9. Stock Clerk & Order Filler
BLS Annual Median Salary: $32,710
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -15%
With the rise of warehouse automation and AI-powered inventory management, the need for human stock clerks has declined. Companies are investing in robotic sorting systems and autonomous inventory tracking, reducing the reliance on manual stock management.
“Retail and warehouse automation are rapidly replacing traditional stock clerks,” says logistics expert Kevin Roberts.
10. Mail Carrier
BLS Annual Median Salary: $53,100
Hiring Outlook by 2032: -30%
The shift to email, digital payments, and online communication has drastically reduced the need for traditional mail delivery services. The U.S. Postal Service has seen a sharp decline in first-class mail volume, leading to job cuts and hiring freezes.
“The widespread adoption of paperless billing and digital communication continues to reduce mail volume, impacting employment for mail carriers,” according to the BLS.
As technology advances and consumer habits evolve, certain jobs are becoming increasingly obsolete. Workers in these fields may need to reskill and transition into industries with higher growth potential to remain competitive in the evolving job market.
