The success of union business agents depends to a great extent on the strength and growth prospects of their particular unions as well as of their industries in general. The best opportunities for employment and advancement exist in those industries that are expected to grow in years to come.
The manufacturing sector of the economy, which traditionally has been very highly unionized, is expected to lose a large number jobs because of increasingly efficient technologies and competition from overseas. As a result, there has been a strong shift in the U.S. economy away from manufacturing toward service industries. Such service industries include insurance, banking, legal services, health care, accounting, retailing, data processing, and education. Unions already exist for public workers, such as teachers, police officers, and firefighters. Other opportunities for unionization and business agent employment will arise in health care, representing workers such as physicians, nurses, medical assistants, technicians, and custodians.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, health care and social assistance (1.6 percent), private educational services (1.2 percent), and construction (1.1 percent) were expected to experience the fastest annual employment growth through 2028, while employment declines were forecast for retail trade, wholesale trade, utilities, the federal government, and manufacturing. The status of these industries and the industries that support them will likely impact union membership levels.
- Accountants
- Arbitrators
- Auditors
- Automotive Dealership Owners
- Billing Clerks
- Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks
- Budget Analysts
- Business Continuity Planners
- Business Development Managers and Directors
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Business Managers
- Buyers
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- Chief Customer Officers
- Chief Executive Officers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Information Security Officers
- Chief Restructuring Officers
- Chief Revenue Officers
- Chief Robotics Officer
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Chief Trust Officers
- Client Services Managers
- Collection Workers
- Community Health Program Coordinators
- Compliance Managers
- Continuous Improvement Managers
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corporate Community Relations Directors
- Corporate Lawyers
- Corporate Librarians
- Cost Estimators
- Cultural Advisers
- Customer Service Directors
- Customer Service Representatives
- Customs Brokers
- Data Entry Clerks
- Decision Scientists
- Digital Workplace Experience Engineers
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
- Directors of Security
- Directors of Volunteers
- Document Management Specialists
- Economists
- Employment Firm Workers
- Entrepreneurs
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Event Planners
- Executive Recruiters
- Fashion Models' Agents
- Forensic Accountants and Auditors
- Franchise Owners
- Health Care Managers
- Health Club Owners and Managers
- Health Data Analysts
- Human Resources Consultants
- Human Resources Managers
- Information Technology Infrastructure Engineers
- Internet Consultants
- Internet Executives
- Internet Store Managers and Entrepreneurs
- Internet Transaction Specialists
- Legal Operations Specialists
- Loss Prevention Managers
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Military Recruiters
- Office Administrators
- Payroll Directors
- Personnel and Labor Relations Specialists
- Product Designers
- Professional Organizers
- Project Managers
- Proposal Managers
- Purchasing Agents
- Receptionists
- Regulatory Affairs Managers
- Regulatory Affairs Specialists
- Retail Business Owners
- Retail Managers
- Sales Managers
- Sales Representatives
- Secretaries
- Space Tourism Managers
- Statisticians
- Stenographers
- Strategy Managers
- Tax Managers
- Temporary Workers
- Traffic Managers
- Typists and Word Processors
- Workplace Diversity Experts