Hot Jobs for 2021

As 2020 fades into the rearview, the hot jobs market picture is beginning to clear for 2021. The Covid crisis has upended expectations, with some clear winners and losers. Entire sectors of the economy have shut down, while others went into hyperdrive.

This leaves us with a direct question: what are the hot jobs for 2021? Which of these are short-term trends, and which have the potential to blossom into great careers?

Let’s take a look at three sectors that will give us insight into the bigger picture.

1. TECH

It’s no surprise tech remains a high priority. It’s been a growing market for decades, with a lack of skilled talent driving up salaries. The job market for specialized engineers, like software developers, is up 25% since 2019. That’s with Covid in the mix. The engineering unemployment rate has continued decreasing as well. It sits at 2.6% today.

The future continues to look bright for those looking to work in such areas as:

• Software engineering
• Electronics design
• Control systems
• Cloud computing
• Embedded systems
• Other related fields

More advanced fields, such as data science and artificial intelligence, that are expected to grow at an even faster clip. The supply of candidates in this field is limited by the requirement of an advanced, and expensive, education. If you have a strong aptitude in math, science, and engineering, the extra schooling could be worth it. This will be a massive market in the decades ahead.

2. E-COMMERCE

E-Commerce is often considered part of the tech market. That said, the field has interesting developments that call for focus on its own.

E-Commerce employment traditionally focuses on positions such as software engineer, app developer, etc. While those are still growing fields (see above), the biggest e-commerce development news in 2021 was the growth of non-technical jobs in the space.

This includes:

• Personal shoppers for companies like Shipt
• Delivery drivers for apps like GrubHub
• The ever-growing fleet of delivery drivers for Amazon, UPS, etc.
• Digital content creators

SEO optimization specialists The hiring growth for these positions have ranged from 33-73% since 2019. Some of that growth is Covid-related, and we could see the numbers level off in the short term. That said, they’re not expected to slide backward. That means a lot of jobs in the high-tech sector for non-tech people.

While these positions don’t need high-level degrees, they may still run into a lack of candidates in the future. Many of those working in these positions now were previously employed in slow sectors, such as brick-and-mortar retail, hospitality, restaurants, etc. As those open up again, companies may find less job candidates to choose from.

Another point: a large percentage of these jobs fall outside traditional employment. Shipt shoppers, Uber drivers, etc. are independent contractors. There’s a big question mark on how this model will hold up in the future. As the candidate supply shrinks, companies may have to lure them in with benefits, bonuses, and maybe even direct positions.

3. MEDICAL

No surprise: the medical field will continue to be a solid place to grow a career. There’s a growing demand for this in:

• Medical support
• Mental health
• Nursing

Despite efforts to recruit more into these fields, they continue to suffer from shortages. This equals great opportunity for those who enter, as they’ll be able to command better pay.

After 2020, everyone understands how important these folks are to our well-being.

There’s a trend across these highlighted fields: demand increasing, without enough people to meet employment demand. These aren’t the only fields where this is happening. The trades, teaching, loan/mortgage experts, and others are also starting the feel the pain.

As a society, we have to do more to make sure we’re training the professionals we need. Also, employers need to make sure they’re doing what’s necessary to attract the best people. Their survival depends upon it.

For 30+ years, PRA USA has kept on top of Engineering job market trends, changing markets, and paradigm shifts. It’s one of the reasons why we’ve thrived working with leaders in Electronics, Embedded, and Controls development. Our Focus 2021 initiative has been designed to expand how we can put our experience to work for you with programs such as our 30-Minute Career Consulting sessions. Use our knowledge to get the career you deserve.