Workforce Comparison Tool
Compare projected job growth and employment size across US industry sectors. Data from BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, aggregated live by NAICS supersector.
Select Sectors to Compare
Comparison Results
Data from BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, aggregated live by NAICS industry supersector. Growth projections are national averages and vary by region.
Understanding Workforce Comparisons
Comparing employment metrics across industry sectors reveals which parts of the labor market are expanding versus contracting, and how large each sector already is. A small, fast-growing sector (like Information & Tech) creates a very different opportunity profile than a large, slow-growing one (like Retail).
The two dimensions this tool compares:
- Projected Growth (2024-2034): The BLS projected percentage change in total employment over the decade. Positive growth means the sector is expanding; negative means contraction is expected.
- Total Employment 2024: Current sector size by number of workers. Larger sectors have more absolute job openings even at lower growth percentages.
How to Use These Comparisons
For job seekers and career changers, compare the growth trajectory of target sectors, then look up specific occupations within the sectors you're considering to see their individual AI exposure and wage figures.
For HR and workforce planners, sector-level growth and employment size help frame where hiring demand is concentrated; pair this with occupation-level AI exposure scores for the specific roles you're planning around.
For students and educators, compare sectors to align curricula with future demand, then drill into occupation profiles for the roles a sector is known for to see task-level automation exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I use the workforce comparison tool?
Select two or more industry sectors from the dropdowns, then click "Compare Workforces" to see a side-by-side comparison of projected job growth and current employment size. You can compare up to three sectors at once.
Where does the comparison data come from?
Employment and growth figures come live from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034, aggregated by NAICS industry supersector from the same dataset that powers our industry pages.
Why doesn’t this tool show AI exposure or median wage by sector?
AI exposure scores and median wages in our data are measured per OCCUPATION (O*NET Database 30.0 task analysis, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics), not per industry sector, and there is no reliable crosswalk in our dataset from a specific occupation to a specific industry sector. Rather than estimate a sector-level figure we can’t verify, we show only what the data genuinely supports at this granularity: growth and employment size. For AI exposure and wage by role, see individual occupation profiles.
Why isn’t Government included as a sector?
The BLS Employment Projections industry dataset behind this tool does not carry a NAICS Public Administration (92) supersector, so we don’t show a Government comparison rather than back it with an unsupported figure.
Can I compare specific occupations instead of industries?
This tool compares industry sectors. For individual occupation comparisons, browse our occupation profiles which include detailed AI exposure breakdowns, wage data, and growth projections for each specific role.
Every figure on PlainWorkforce is rendered directly from BLS/O*NET source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these figures, or report a data error. Data current as of BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.