Personal Care and Services

The coronavirus pandemic impacted all sectors of the personal care and services industry in 2020 and early 2021. Business lockdowns and social distancing requirements caused work disruptions early in the pandemic. An economic slowdown also caused many consumers to scale back on personal care services they deemed nonessential. Post pandemic, consumer confidence has improved, as well as the growth of expendable income, translating to projected growth in many sectors of the personal care and services industry, according to the research group IBISWorld. For example, the U.S. day care industry is expected to have steady growth through 2030, as more people are back to working on site in offices or in hybrid schedules and needing day care help for their children. During the pandemic there was a rise in the number of pets adopted, which has since created more employment opportunities in animal care and services. Steady growth is also expected in the U.S. residential cleaning services market through 2030, as more households are earning higher incomes, which has increased demand for cleaning services.

The U.S. landscaping services industry has been experiencing strong growth, at an annual rate of 4 percent from 2019 through 2024, and growth of 3 percent alone in 2024. According to IBISWorld, revenue in landscaping is expected to grow annually by 3.6 percent from 2025 through 2029, due to the residential construction boom during the pandemic and resulting heightened need for landscaping services. As economic situations continue to improve for consumers, demand will grow in the coming years for professional landscaping maintenance services.

Moving forward, the outlook will be bright overall for the personal care and services industry. As reported by the Department of Labor, approximately 794,500 new personal care and services industry jobs will be added each year from 2023 through 2033. Home health and personal care aides are projected to have much faster than average job growth (about 21 percent) in that same time frame. The demand will be due to the increasing population of the elderly and their desire to live as long as possible in the comfort of their own homes; they will need home care aides to help them with daily tasks and activities.

The DOL projects that childcare workers will have a 1 percent decline in employment through 2033, due to slower birth rates. There will continue to be demand for childcare help for people who work and need someone to care for their children during business hours. The number of stay-at-home parents has been increasing, however, and this could reduce the need for childcare help in the coming years. Job opportunities will arise from the need to replace childcare workers who leave their positions for other jobs. Childcare workers with formal education will also have an edge in the job market.

Animal care and service workers, including pet sitters and dog walkers, are expected to have much faster than average employment growth of 15 percent through 2033. A growing number of people own pets and want to provide them with the best care available. According to the National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), about 82 million U.S. households owned a pet in 2024. Total U.S. spending on pets has also continued rising over the years, from more than $48 billion in 2010 to more than $150.6 billion in 2024; that number is expected to continue rising. There should be plenty of job opportunities for pet sitters and dog walkers in the coming years, especially because there is high turnover in this type of work. Those with experience and certification will have improved job prospects.

The DOL predicts that maids and housekeeping cleaners will have a 1 percent increase in employment through 2033. Maids and housekeepers are paid higher salaries in the metropolitan areas of California, such as San Jose, Vallejo-Fairfield, San Francisco, and Modesto; Hawaii, including Urban Honolulu and Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina; and New York City; they also do well in Modesto, Sacramento, and San Diego, California. Owners of professional cleaning companies and franchises belong to groups such as ISSA Residential, which provides guidance on business practices and ethics and other educational resources.

Grounds maintenance workers, including tree trimmers and pruners, will have 5 percent employment growth through 2033, which is about as fast as the average for all occupations. As the economy strengthens, more people will spend money on landscaping services such as tree trimming and pruning to improve and maintain the appearance of their lawns and trees. Also, the growing elderly population will lead to job opportunities for tree trimmers and pruners to help older people who will need more assistance in maintaining their yards. The DOL also reports that many municipalities are planting more trees in urban areas, and thus landscaping and tree specialists will be in demand. The best job opportunities are in temperate climates, where there is work for landscapers and tree trimmers and pruners year round.

Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, as well as pest control workers, will have 7 percent employment growth through 2033, which is faster than the average. There will always be a need to replace pest control workers who leave the occupation. Also, the rise of invasive species like bed bugs and stinkbugs will also create more job opportunities in the pest control field.