Industrial Chemicals Workers

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that growth in this field will decline through 2033. For example, chemical plant and system operators will see employment decline by 1 percent, while chemical equipment operators and tenders will experience a 5 percent decline during the same timeframe. More efficient production processes, increased plant automation, and growing competition with overseas chemical manufacturers will limit job growth for production workers in this industry.

Advances in technology should create some jobs for technical workers with the necessary skills to handle increasingly complex chemical processes and controls, as well as jobs for computer specialists who have technical expertise in computer-controlled production.