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Paper Processing Workers

Outlook

Even though the demand for paper products is increasing, employment at pulp, paper, and paperboard mills is expected to decline by nearly 19 percent annually through 2028, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Perhaps the most important reason for the decreasing number of jobs is the trend toward computerization. As the industry has increasingly used technology to run the pulp and papermaking process, the need for workers has decreased.

Fortunately, however, this factor has been offset somewhat by an increase in the amount of paper products the United States is exporting to foreign markets. Because of the growing foreign market, as well as more relaxed international trade regulations, U.S. paper exports have grown substantially in the last decade.

Employment prospects in this industry are better for college-educated individuals with scientific or technical backgrounds. Most of the jobs lost in the mechanization of the industry have been those that require semiskilled or skilled laborers. Opportunities in marketing may also be good, due to the expansion of the international paper market and the push for new product development. Finally, the growing demand for recycled paper products is creating job opportunities in recycling collection and recycled paper distribution.

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