92 Million Jobs Disappearing by 2030: What It Means for Black Professionals

Hey Bees, 

What I’m about to share isn’t to scare you. It’s to prepare you.

BOTJ JOB INSIGHTS

As a career consultant who works with Black professionals across industries, I’ve had a front-row seat to the shifts happening in the job market. We’ve always known that change was coming, but the speed at which these shifts are happening? Whew. It’s giving urgency.

According to projections backed by the Future of Jobs Report and real-time workforce data, 92 million jobs will disappear by 2030. Yes, you read that right. 92 million. And if we don’t pay attention, Black folks especially those of us in repetitive, admin-heavy, or customer service roles, will feel the sting the hardest.

So, let’s break it all the way down.

When we talk about disappearing jobs, we’re talking about roles either being replaced by AI, outsourced, or made irrelevant by digital transformation. In the BOTJ “Job Insights 2025,” some of the most at-risk positions include:

• Payroll Clerks & Accounting Assistants (projected decline: -15%)

• Administrative Assistants & Executive Secretaries (-18%)

• Customer Service Representatives & Call Center Roles (-20%)

• Bank Tellers, Claims Adjusters & Data Entry Clerks (-25%)

If you’re working in any of these jobs, especially in the federal sector, it’s time to pay attention. The threat of federal disappearing jobs is real, and automation isn't waiting on anyone to catch up. With companies centralizing HR and payroll functions and 82% of task-based duties already being automated, clerical work is being erased before our eyes. Add the pressure of USA federal layoffs tied to restructuring and budget shifts, and it’s no longer a "what if"; it’s a "what now."

BOTJ JOB INSIGHTS

How This Impacts Black Professionals

Now, here’s where it gets personal. Black professionals are disproportionately represented in many of the roles flagged as high-risk. From admin assistants to customer service reps, we’ve historically gravitated toward roles seen as stable or easy to enter. But stable doesn’t mean sustainable.

When 40% of today’s skills will be outdated by 2030, and automation is out here snatching jobs left and right, we can’t afford to just keep our heads down and hope we’re safe. We’ve got to skill up, pivot smartly, and take control of our career stories before someone writes us out of them.

Let me offer you some good news because this ain’t all gloom and doom. While 92 million jobs will disappear by 2030, new roles will be created as quickly as possible; they just require a different mindset and a different skill set. Think less about “routine tasks” and more about “strategic thinking.” Less data entry, more data analytics.

IMAGE BY BOTJ

Roles like:

• AI Content Assistant

• People Analytics Manager

• Compliance & Risk Officer

• E-Commerce Strategy Manager

• Digital Banking Specialist

These aren’t pie-in-the-sky careers, they’re reachable, especially when you have the right tools, training, and community backing you. Some of these roles pay six figures straight out the gate if you have the skills to match. And guess what? A lot of these are pivot-friendly. This means that if you’ve been an admin assistant, payroll processor, claims adjuster, or HR clerk you already have transferable skills that can be refined and repurposed for the new economy.

Skills That Will Keep You Recession-Resistant

If you want to stay ahead of the curve, here’s what to focus on right now:

• Analytical Thinking: Learn to interpret data, spot patterns, and confidently make decisions.

• Tech Literacy: You don’t have to be a coder, but you do need to know how AI and digital systems work.

• Leadership & Strategic Planning: Start thinking like a manager, even if your title doesn’t say it yet.

• Empathy & Communication: These “soft skills” are becoming power skills in industries like health tech, edtech, and compliance.

These aren’t just cute buzzwords. They’re the currency of the future workforce.

What You Need to Do Right Now

Let me say this loud for the folks in the back: the jobs ain’t coming back. At least not in the way they once existed. If you're still in a role that depends on task repetition or clerical labor, you don’t have time to “wait and see.” You’ve got to move now.

• Take inventory of your current skills 

• Get into the right upskilling programs (start with BOTJ’s FPC Gateway) 

• Network with folks who are already where you want to be 

• Apply for pivot-friendly roles even if they feel like a stretch

The world is changing fast, but so can you; let’s move like we know what’s coming. We weren’t meant to play small, and we weren’t built to be left behind. The fact that 92 million jobs will disappear by 2030 isn’t the end of our story; it’s the start of a new chapter. One where we rewrite the rules, reclaim our power, and rebuild our careers with purpose and strategy.

And if you need a space to process, strategize, and plug into solutions, I got you.

Please take advantage of our Career Coaching services and let our career consultants help you with your career pivot.

We also broke it all the way down in this live-in-the-hive, which roles are disappearing, which ones are growing, and how you can start pivoting today.

Let’s stay ready so we don’t have to get prepared. It’s our time to lead the shift, not just survive it.

LOVE, JOY & HONEY