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Is your job safe? 22 careers in peril amid COVID-19 pandemic

The novel coronavirus has not only torpedoed the current U.S. labor market but threatens to reshape hiring practices and employability metrics moving forward.

With a net loss of roughly 10 million jobs since the pandemic began, the virus is forcing hiring managers to recalibrate staffing levels and re-imagine workflow, upended by mass stay-at-home orders that have prompted unprecedented work-from-home allowances.

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According to a new report issued by job posting and employee review site Glassdoor, many of the recently unemployed will be welcomed back to the workforce once a vaccine becomes widely available, but some job candidates will find that their former livelihoods have been literally lost in the shuffle.

“In 2020, COVID-19 devastated large parts of the economy, put millions out of work and created the most dire health crisis of the 21st century. But it also overturned outdated beliefs about remote work, sparked companies to build programs that foster emotional and cultural bonds between teams and has put even the most vigorous company cultures through the crucible during historically trying times,” Glassdoor Chief Economist Andrew Chamberlain wrote in the report.

“COVID is going to change the way we organize work and the way we spend,” he added.

According to USA Today, Glassdoor job postings in some categories plummeted in October because people are foregoing elective medical procedures and nonessential spending as the pandemic continues to rage.

For instance, openings for audiologists nose-dived by 70%, the most of any category, to 2,336, down from 7,710 in October 2019. Meanwhile, openings plunged 61% for opticians, 50% for hairstylists, 41% for pet groomers, 40% for physical therapists and 34% for sales managers in the year-over-year comparison, the outlet reported.

Glassdoor’s report indicates, however, that some positions, such as office and administrative roles, were already being re-evaluated before the pandemic “accelerated the shift,” while the hospitality and tourism sector could take years to recover and may never recoup pre-pandemic staffing levels.

Using Glassdoor data, CNBC compiled the following list of the 22 jobs that have suffered the most virus-related job losses:

1. Audiologist

Job type: Discretionary health care

October 2020 job openings: 2,336

October 2019 job openings: 7,710

Year-over-year % decrease: 70%

2. Event coordinator

Job type: Admin and office

October 2020 job openings: 1,723

October 2019 job openings: 5,541

Year-over-year % decrease: 69%

3. Product demonstrator

Job type: Sales

October 2020 job openings: 2,567

October 2019 job openings: 6,932

Year-over-year % decrease: 63%

4. Optician

Job type: Discretionary health care

October 2020 job openings: 2,208

October 2019 job openings: 5,592

Year-over-year % decrease: 61%

5. Chef

Job type: Food service

October 2020 job openings: 6,569

October 2019 job openings: 14,844

Year-over-year % decrease: 56%

6. Executive assistant

Job type: Admin and office

October 2020 job openings: 2,308

October 2019 job openings: 5,182

Year-over-year % decrease: 55%

7. Beauty consultant

Job type: Personal services

October 2020 job openings: 6,065

October 2019 job openings: 12,845

Year-over-year % decrease: 53%

8. Valet

Job type: Personal services

October 2020 job openings: 2,485

October 2019 job openings: 5,054

Year-over-year % decrease: 51%

9. Stylist

Job type: Personal services

October 2020 job openings: 5,237

October 2019 job openings: 10,376

Year-over-year % decrease: 50%

10. Coach

Job type: Personal services

October 2020 job openings: 6,844

October 2019 job openings: 12,869

Year-over-year % decrease: 47%

11. Brand ambassador

Job type: Sales

October 2020 job openings: 5,925

October 2019 job openings: 10,055

Year-over-year % decrease: 41%

12. Pet groomer

Job type: Personal services

October 2020 job openings: 3,854

October 2019 job openings: 6,586

Year-over-year % decrease: 41%

13. Physical therapist

Job type: Discretionary health care

October 2020 job openings: 17,372

October 2019 job openings: 28,920

Year-over-year % decrease: 40%

14. Intern

Job type: Admin and office

October 2020 job openings: 7,731

October 2019 job openings: 12,732

Year-over-year % decrease: 39%

15. Professor

Job type: Education

October 2020 job openings: 8,651

October 2019 job openings: 14,247

Year-over-year % decrease: 39%

16. HR generalist

Job type: Admin and office

October 2020 job openings: 3,314

October 2019 job openings: 5,286

Year-over-year % decrease: 37%

17. Accounts payable specialist

Job type: Admin and office

October 2020 job openings: 3,417

October 2019 job openings: 5,413

Year-over-year % decrease: 37%

18. Receptionist

Job type: Admin and Office

October 2020 job openings: 11,627

October 2019 job openings: 17,826

Year-over-year % decrease: 35%

19. Instructor

Job type: Education

October 2020 job openings: 12,751

October 2019 job openings: 19,278

Year-over-year % decrease: 34%

20. Sales manager

Job type: Sales

October 2020 job openings: 16,525

October 2019 job openings: 24,917

Year-over-year % decrease: 34%

21. Accountant

Job type: Admin and office

October 2020 job openings: 19,723

October 2019 job openings: 27,637

Year-over-year % decrease: 29%

22. Account executive

Job type: Sales

October 2020 job openings: 14,337

October 2019 job openings: 19,624

Year-over-year % decrease: 27%


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