TheLadders Releases New Job-Evolution Data: Middle-Management Titles Are Phasing Out

NEW YORK, Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases October's employment report, job-matching service TheLadders announces new study findings that show how professional jobs have evolved over the past five years. From its more than 6 million members and 60,000 employers, TheLadders analyzed key words and phrases that job seekers use to search for jobs -- along with employers' word choices for job postings – and revealed that middle-management jobs are rapidly decreasing in relative popularity.

The data concludes that the growth rate of titles containing the word "manager" is 25 percent lower than average growth rate, and the rate of titles containing the word "director" is 50 percent lower. What's more, within the top 10 percent of growing jobs, less than 2 percent of titles contain the word "manager" or "director."

Conversely, the fastest-growing jobs shy away from management, and instead require deep educational qualifications and specific skills in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). With seven of the 10 fastest-growing job titles, the technology industry dominates market share with positions that necessitate specific technical skills for developing software and mining data. Indicating a trend beyond employment, four of the seven fastest-growing technology jobs (Dev Ops Engineer, iOS Developer, Data Scientist and Android Developer) did not even exist on TheLadders five years ago.

Fastest-growing Job Titles on TheLadders from 2008 through 2013:

1. Dev Ops Engineer
2. iOS Developer
3. Data Scientist
4. UX Designer
5. Staff Accountant
6. Paralegal
7. UI Developer
8. Administrative Assistant
9. Android Developer
10. Business Intelligence Developer

"In examining job growth over the past five years, there is an undeniable demand for developers and analysts who possess unique expertise within the burgeoning STEM industries," said Shankar Mishra, vice president of data science & analytics for TheLadders. "On the opposite end of the spectrum, once-coveted management jobs are rapidly declining, revealing a trend that high-earning professionals are not necessarily on a management track, nor do they desire to be."

Regarding location, technology-driven regions are benefiting from this evolution more than others. Because of the recent explosion of technology companies comprising Silicon Alley, New York City has the biggest share of this expansion, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington D.C., and Dallas-Fort Worth region.

On an ongoing basis, TheLadders conducts primary user-experience research and analyzes quantitative data provided by its more than 6 million members to educate the company about current behavioral trends in the job-search process. TheLadders uses this research to improve the customer experience and provide expert advice to the marketplace. Additional information about the evolution of jobs study can be found on TheLadders Blog. 

About TheLadders
With more than 6 million members, TheLadders is the premier online job-matching service committed to finding the right person for the right job since 2003. Its recently launched iPhone app is now available exclusively on the App Store. Originally recognized as the leading job-matching site for high-earning professionals, TheLadders expanded its services in fall 2011 to all career-driven professionals. In doing so, more than 60,000 employers and recruiters that use TheLadders to source qualified candidates, now have access to professionals at all levels, free of charge. TheLadders is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit TheLadders Blog and TheLadders.com. Your career is our job.™

SOURCE TheLadders