5 Industries Thriving in This Post-Pandemic Economy
Written by
Adam Palasciano
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
The COVID-19 pandemic sent shockwaves throughout the global economy. Lockdown orders were set in place, and we experienced one of the greatest economic disruptions in U.S. history. Tens of millions of Americans became unemployed within a very short period of time.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it was reported that approximately 23.1 million Americans became unemployed by April 2020. That’s compared with about 7.2 million who were unemployed in March 2020, representing a more than 200% increase in one month.
Thankfully, the pandemic is behind us. Fast-forward to 2024, and many industries — both existing and new, emerging sectors — are growing in the new post-pandemic economy.
5 Industries on the Rise in 2024
Here are five industries that are growing and where jobs are plentiful, according to the White House and Entrepreneur.
Semiconductor Manufacturing
The White House recently reported that job creation in the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing sector is growing after nearly two decades of declining or flat employment.
The onset of the pandemic had the opposite effect than it did on many other industries. Employment in this sector grew as demand for electronics surged during the pandemic. In fact, since 2021, employment in the semiconductor sector has grown by an average of 4.3% per year to over 203,000 workers as of 2023.
Artificial Intelligence
The dawn of artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing rapid change to industries across the U.S. economy. Investment in AI projects has increased eightfold in recent years, to the tune of $25 billion as of 2023. The introduction of revolutionary platforms like Open AI’s ChatGPT has created new possibilities to streamline work processes as well as increase productivity and data analysis.
Software engineering, computer science, programming, data analysis and project management jobs in industries such as transportation, finance and healthcare are all in high demand.
Online Retail
Once the pandemic began, consumers turned to shopping via online retail like never before. Retail giants like Walmart, Target and Amazon have invested heavily in developing their online platforms to support the growing demand for online shopping.
As of 2023, e-commerce sales made up about 15% of all global retail sales and the industry is estimated to be worth approximately $1.1 trillion.
Healthcare
While COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the U.S. economy, healthcare jobs became some of the most important, as the demand for healthcare needs surged to unprecedented levels. It should come as no surprise that, today, the healthcare industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the U.S. economy.
Healthcare jobs are projected to make up about 45% of all job gains in the U.S. between 2022 and 2032, with the number of jobs for doctors, nurses and support staff expected to grow.
Green Energy
It’s reported that the green energy sector accounted for 10% of GDP growth (around $320 billion) globally in 2023. This includes the development of electric vehicles and wind turbines, for example.
The passage of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act allotted billions of dollars to clean energy projects in the U.S. This funding is slated to create more jobs for supply chain specialists, technicians, engineers, solar panel installers and construction workers supporting the green energy sector.
More From GOBankingRates
