On January, 8th, 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) released the 2014–15 Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) The handbook reflects BLS employment projections for the 2012–22 decade.
The Office and Administrative Support occupational profiles, which include General Office Clerks, Receptionists, Information Clerks, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, have been updated with 2012 data and with the latest career information. Each occupational profile describes:
• What workers do
• Where they work
• Typical education and training requirements
• Wages
• Job outlook
Some of the highlights include:
- Receptionists: Employment of receptionists is projected to grow 14 percent from 2012 to 2022. Overall job opportunities should be good. Those with related work experience and good computer skills should have the best job prospects. The medium annual salary is $25,990 per year (approximately $12.49 per hour.)
- Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: Employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to grow 12 percent from 2012 to 2022. Many job openings will result from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation. Those with a combination of work experience and computer skills should have the best job prospects. The median annual salary for secretaries and administrative assistants was $35,330 in May 2012.
- General Office Clerks: Employment of general office clerks is projected to grow 6 percent from 2012 to 2022, slower than the average for all occupations. Nonetheless, bls.gov states that the overall job opportunities should be good. Candidates who have a combination of work experience and computer software skills should have the best job prospects. General Office Clerks are typically paid by the hour and the median hourly was $13.21 in May 2012.
According to bls.gov, the employment projections focus on long-term trends and are based on assumptions about economic and labor force growth. However, because the economy may be affected by unforeseeable events, such as those leading to an economic downturn, the projections are subject to error.
Source: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ooh.nr0.htm