Occupations that are slowly disappearing across the country

Ever met a travel agent? A new report has revealed the once popular jobs that are now disappearing across the country.

When was the last time you met a new person, asked them what they do for work and they revealed they are a travel agent?

Or maybe a print manufacturer? Or an executive assistant?

Well, if it was recently, then you just had a very rare encounter.

These are some of the fastest shrinking jobs in Australia, with less and less people choosing these careers.

New analysis from KPMG Australia has highlighted not only the jobs that are on the decline, but also the roles that are growing the fastest.

The report, which combines data from the ATO, Census, ABS and Jobs and Skills Australia, found there are five key occupations that have seen drastic declines over a 10 year period.

The profession that has seen the biggest drop is travel agents. In 2014, there were around 27,000 workers, but by 2024 that number had fallen closer to 17,600, which is a 34.8 per cent drop.

The number of travel agents in the country has dropped significantly over the past decade. Picture: iStock

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The number of print manufacturing employees has seen a 23 per cent decline over the same period, falling from 26,900 workers to 20,700.

Another area that has seen a drop is executive assistants, with a 21.6 per cent decline over the decade.

KPMG Urban Economist, Terry Rawnsley, said the advancement of technology and the public becoming more comfortable navigating the online world has contributed to these falls.

Speaking to news.com.au, he noted that, in terms of travel agents, there has been a substantial increase in travel booking websites, making it easier for people to complete the booking process without assistance.

“Whereas 10 years ago, people might have been more inclined to go into actual physical travel agents, flip through the brochures, talk to their representatives and kind of plan their trip that way,” Mr Rawnsley said.

“So that’s a real sort of social and technological change that has hit travel agents.”

In terms of print manufacturers, there are less publications such as newspapers and magazines being printed daily compared to 10 years ago. This is also due to the rise in online media and advertising, reducing the need for physical copies and prints.

These are the jobs that are on the decline. Picture: KPMG

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For executive assistants, Mr Rawnsley said this occupation has been impacted by administrative improvements, such as shared calenders and online booking processes, which have made it easier for people to manage their own timetables.

Another occupation that has seen a decline is telco repair and installation workers, with a 12.4 per cent drop in jobs between 2014 and 2024.

The analysis also found that the number of farmers has dropped across the country, with 144,800 workers in 2024 compared to 167,000 in 2014, representing a 13.3 per cent decline.

Mr Rawnsley said the drop in the occupation was a “whole different kettle of fish” compared to the other professions on the list.

He explained the term farmers, in this case, refers to the person managing the farm.

“There’s less family run farms out there and more big corporate farms,” he said.

“10 years ago in the district you would have had 10 family farms and one corporate. Now, five of the farmers have sold and there is one corporate and just five family farms in the area.”

Farmers were also on the list.

But while the jobs identified in the report are undoubtedly on the decline, Mr Rawnsley said it is unlikely they will go completely extinct.

“When you look at other occupations, such as cobblers and tailors, who are less common now than they than they were 20 or 30 years ago, they didn’t completely disappear,” he said.

“They’ve become a very niche type of occupation. They don’t quite completely disappear, much more rare than they were.”

The KPMG analysis also highlighted the occupations that are seeing the fastest growth, with jobs in health and childcare dominating the list.

In total the number of workers in Australia has increased by 22.9 per cent between 2014 and 2024 from 11.4 million to 14.0 million, with the 10 top-growing occupational groupings accounting for over one million new workers and representing almost 40 per cent of all growth.

These are the jobs that are on the rise. Picture: iStock

Aged and disabled care workers and allied health workers have almost doubled in numbers in the past decade, increasing by 98 per cent and 83.9 per cent, respectively.

Early childhood and child care workers have also seen strong growth, increasing by 52.5 per cent. In a similar vein, teachers have seen a 23.6 per cent increase.

There has been a 29 per cent increase in the number of nurses and midwives, with the amount of workers increasing from 297,200 in 2014 to over 380,000 in 2024.

Mr Rawnsley said the surge in care occupations reflects Australia’s ageing population.

“As the older Baby Boomers enter their late 70s and early 80s the need to rapidly expand aged care and related health services grows stronger. Meanwhile, increased participation of women in the workforce has meant the demand for childcare has similarly increased over the last decade,” he said.

“We are already seeing governments invest heavily in the aged care, disability support, and childcare sectors to meet future expected demand.”

Other areas that have seen big surges include tech and IT professionals (55 per cent), marketing, ad and PR workers (40.9 per cent) and HR professionals (41.2 per cent).

Originally published as Occupations that are slowly disappearing across the country