10 American Industries That Will Be Destroyed In The Next Decade

Number employed in 2012: 234,600

Number projected in 2022: 183,100

Percent decline: 21.8%

Why: U.S. textile mills began to close decades ago, and that trend hasn't reversed. It's much cheaper for companies to outsource textile production to other countries than to pay employees at home.

Number employed in 2012: 25,000

Number projected in 2022: 19,400

Percent decline: 22.4%

Why: Hardware products are typically used in the manufacturing of other items like cars and furniture. Demand for those products collapsed during the recession, and the hardware industry still hasn't recovered, especially with an influx of competitively priced imports.

Number employed in 2012: 451,800

Number projected in 2022: 346,800

Percent decline: 23.2%

Why: E-books, smartphones, tablets, computers, and the Internet are destroying print media. Publishers and editors alike are trying to figure out how to get consumers to pay for content they can find for free online.

Number employed in 2012: 41,600

Number projected in 2022: 31,300

Percent decline: 24.8%

Why: This industry was another one that suffered in the recession. Factories closed and jobs were slashed or moved to cheaper facilities abroad. Plunging domestic auto manufacturing and homebuilding didn't help, either, as overall market demand sank.

Number employed in 2012: 158,600

Number projected in 2022: 118,700

Percent decline: 25.2%

Why: Like so many other manufacturing sectors, companies in this industry continue to move jobs and plants overseas. High-end products are still made in the U.S., but the bulk of cheap and mass-produced items have moved away from home.

Number employed in 2012: 611,200

Number projected in 2022: 442,100

Percent decline: 27.7%

Why: The Postal Service has struggled ever since email caught on. The USPS is hoping that cost-cutting measures and growth in e-commerce deliveries will bolster its revenues, but that largely remains to be seen.

Number employed in 2012: 109,500

Number projected in 2022: 78,600

Percent decline: 28.2%

Why: Product innovation and design still takes place in the U.S., but the actual production of this equipment (TVs, radios, cell phones, etc.) is typically outsourced to countries with lower wages such as Mexico and China.

Number employed in 2012: 29,400

Number projected in 2022: 18,500

Percent decline: 37.1%

Why: Most of the world's consumers of leather and hides are located overseas, which makes for an extremely weak domestic market. U.S. tanners and leather makers depend on the ability to export their products and the trade agreements governing the practice.

Number employed in 2012: 148,100

Number projected in 2022: 62,300

Percent decline: 57.9%

Why: Last time you checked the label, how many of your clothes were made in the U.S.? Similar to textile production, most of apparel manufacturing now takes place overseas. That helps companies cut costs and keep garments cheap for consumers.

10 American Industries That Are Going To Boom In The Next Decade >>