Technology and societal shifts are reshaping the workforce, making some professions obsolete. A user asked on a popular forum, what are some of the professions that are slowly dying? And here are a few examples of careers that are slowly disappearing.
Machinists
“More advanced CNC machinery is being created and becoming more cost-effective daily. Can make hundreds of parts in the time it takes someone to make one.”
Manual labor
“It seems to me like damn near everyone that requires some kind of manual labor. I own a business, and damn near every time I’ve hired someone to do something at my business, whether electrical, plumbing, or HVAC, I have to do the job myself because nobody can do what they charge you to do anymore.”
Printing Press Repair
“One of my friends travels the country repairing presses and is one of only a handful in the industry.” said one.
“That was my dad’s job in the 80 and 90s. The local paper died, and they dismantled the press, and there was one paper left in a city of millions. Not a lot of demand for mechanics…” another said.
Photo Lab Technician
“I’ve worked in a few different photo labs, and with the move to digital, there isn’t a need for people who work with film. I am talking about wet labs specifically.
I haven’t seen any new places pop up for developing film, and I’ve lived in big and small cities over the years. I can’t see it ever being as popular as it once was, and I do see it completely dying out as technology advances rapidly,” a user said.
Read: 10 Jobs That Pay Under The Table
Sewing machine technicians
“The two older gents that service mine are amazing; been doing it most of their lives. They’re lovely and extraordinarily knowledgeable, but they want to retire, and there’s no one to take on their business.
Despite their high demand, they’ve tried to find apprentices, but no one is interested. The precision engineering in my industrial and domestic machines is extraordinary. It makes me sad that if they go wrong, I might never find anyone to fix them.” said one.
“My father is an engineer and works as a sewing machine technician. He may be overqualified for the job, but the job pays well since there’s not many people left to do it.” another added.
Electronics Repair Technician
“Any electronic repairs. No one repairs anything anymore.” said one.
“My dad used to do repairs of all kinds of electronics, and it died out because things are so cheap now, and getting replacement parts has been nearly impossible.” another said.
Bookbinders
“I always wanted to become one, but it’s all done by machines now.” said one.
They are more complex and harder to find. I work for a smaller library. We only need about four volumes of material bound a year. It will take a decade to get enough material together. We had to inform the board of trustees that their minutes would be kept in binders.
Artisans
“I’m Italian, and my country is full of artisans and artists that can’t just survive with the income of their product selling. The only few surviving are guided by young entrepreneurs using the internet and social media to export abroad.
In this way, we’re losing a lot of traditional workers and works, and here in Italy, it’s a problem.” a user shared.
Engineering Draftsman
“I’ve seen my job change from drawing with pencils to becoming a full-time 3D modeling career. It’s not a bad thing since the job has changed and no one has lost work, but it’s sad in the context that drafting is an art and the old school drafting before computers are beautiful.” said one.
“I loved drafting in high school as it was the perfect blend of art and engineering. I ultimately decided on digital media art and website skills because of the job market.” another said.
Watchmaker Workshop
“I can’t remember the last time I saw a workshop. I used to see 2 – 3 in every town when I was younger.” said one.
“There’s a shortage of watchmakers! Especially in the US, to the point that Rolex established a tuition-free school to train watchmakers.” another shared.
Read: Jobs That Make Over $200,000 A Year
Elevator Operator
“The job is necessary and useful on a skyscraper’s freight elevators separate from the ones that everyday office workers ride because they need to prioritize various floors, hold for extended periods during big deliveries, etc. I used to ride my bike to work in NYC, and the freight elevator operator was a super good dude to know!” said one.
“I read somewhere that the elevator operator was added because when first invented, people didn’t trust them and only felt comfortable if someone was managing it.” another said.
Carpet Installers
“People still put carpet in, but a lot less. With the rise in popularity of things like LVT, and trends changing, people are remodeling or building new with less and less carpet. In a typical residential setting, you’re lucky if the bedrooms have carpet.
This means there is less work available overall, and what is known is only tiny rooms. The installers are needed less, and they make less. This has been going on for a few years, and it’s getting harder to get guys to come in and install the stuff.” said one.
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This article originally appeared on Mrs Daaku Studio.