GUAYNABO, PR (October 21, 2026) – AI resume builder Resume Now® has released The Two-Sided Job Market Report, showing that projected job growth and employees’ views of their employers’ future do not always line up. For workers trying to make sense of a changing job market, that means growth projections may tell only one side of the story.
Resume Now analyzed 70 U.S. occupational groups, comparing U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected employment growth for 2025 to 2035 with Positive Outlook, the share of employee reviewers who have a favorable view of their employer’s business future. In this report, Positive Outlook provides a measure of employee confidence in employers’ futures.
Put simply, one measure shows where jobs are expected to grow or shrink; the other shows how employees view the future of the businesses behind those jobs.
Key Findings
- Job growth and employee outlook don’t always line up: Fast-growing occupations do not always come with stronger employee confidence.
- Animal care shows the biggest disconnect: Animal Care and Service Workers have 11.2% projected employment growth, one of the highest rates in the analysis, but just 48% Positive Outlook, the lowest among the 70 groups.
- Healthcare support shows a wide gap: Other Healthcare Support Occupations, including roles such as medical assistants and dental assistants, have 10.1% projected employment growth but only 55% Positive Outlook.
- Secretaries show confidence despite projected decline: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants are projected to decline 2.1% but have 70% Positive Outlook.
“Job seekers are thinking more seriously about what the future of an employer looks like, especially as AI changes how work gets done,” said Keith Spencer, career expert at Resume Now. “A growing occupation may offer opportunity, but growth alone does not tell you how employees view their employers’ future. Looking at both sides can give workers a clearer picture as they decide where to build their skills and pursue their next opportunity.”
Care and Service Jobs Show the Biggest Confidence Gap
Several care and service occupations are projected to grow quickly, yet employees are less positive about their employers’ future.
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The takeaway: Projected job growth is not always matched by employee confidence. These care and service fields are expected to add jobs, but workers are less confident about the future of the businesses employing them.
Employee Confidence Holds Even as Jobs Shrink
Several office, administrative, and sales-related occupations are projected to lose jobs, yet employees show confidence in their employers’ future.
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The takeaway: Projected job decline does not always come with low employee confidence. In these occupations, workers remain positive about their employers’ future even as employment is expected to decline.
What the Two-Sided Job Market Means for Job Seekers
No single signal tells the whole story. Projected employment growth shows where jobs are expected to grow or shrink, while Positive Outlook shows how confident employees are about the future of the businesses they work for.
For job seekers, that means considering both sides. Job growth and employee confidence do not always move together. Occupations that combine projected growth with strong employee outlook can offer two encouraging signals: expanding opportunities and confidence from workers already in the field.
To view the full Two-Sided Job Market Report, please click here.
Methodology
Resume Now analyzed 70 occupational groups using aggregated, group-level data. Positive Outlook ratings were drawn from Public Insight’s proprietary workplace-review data and represent the share of employee reviews indicating a favorable business outlook. Public Insight organizes occupations using the Standard Occupational Classification system; Resume Now used the Minor Group level and paired each occupational group with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected employment growth for 2025 to 2035. Only groups with at least 5,000 employee reviews were included.
Researchers then compared Positive Outlook with projected employment growth across the 70 groups. The relationship was weak, with a Pearson correlation of 0.14.
Positive Outlook reflects employee-submitted views of employers’ business outlook and is not a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics measure. Occupational groups contain multiple related job titles and may include employees working across multiple employers. Results reflect patterns across occupational groups and do not establish causation.
About Resume Now
Resume Now is a powerful resource dedicated to helping job seekers achieve their potential. Resume Now’s AI Resume Builder is a cutting-edge tool that makes creating a resume fast, easy, and painless. Resume Now has been dedicated to serving job seekers since 2005. Alongside its powerful AI Resume Builder and stylish ready-to-use templates, it also features free advice for job seekers at every career stage, guides for every step of the hiring process, and free resources for writing cover letters. Resume Now is committed to supporting job seekers and workers alike and has conducted numerous surveys related to the experience, trends, and culture of the workplace. These surveys have been featured in Business Insider, CNBC, Fast Company, Yahoo!, Forbes, and more.
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