In-demand jobs in the US during COVID-19: LinkedIn report

COVID-19 threw the spanner in the works for many industries. Many sectors including the aviation, oil and gas drilling, and hospitality industry were significantly affected by the pandemic. But what are some of the most in-demand jobs amid a global health crisis?

According to LinkedIn’s report, Jobs on the RiseLinkedIn’s report, Jobs on the Rise, some industries fared better than others and thrived despite the crisis. 

The report documented roles experiencing the highest year-over-year growth between April and October 2020. So, what are some of the jobs that grew during the pandemic? According to LinkedIn, these are among the in-demand jobs in the US:

1. Professionals on the frontlines of e-commerce

According to LinkedIn, e-commerce roles “grew 73% year-over-year — and that demand continues with over 400,000 open jobs right now”. You’ll need at least a bachelor’s degree or higher for jobs in this field while opportunities for remote work are low.

Top job titles: Driver, Supply Chain Associate, Package Handler, Personal Shopper
Skills: Time Management, Customer Service, Leadership
Education: 75% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

2. Loan and mortgage experts

Many companies have been on the hunt for loan experts, with hiring in 2020 increased nearly 59% from 2019. About a quarter of loan officer job postings mention remote work options.

Top job titles: Underwriter, Mortgage Loan Officer, Escrow Officer, Loan Closer
Skills: Risk Management, Customer Service, Credit Analysis
Education: 86% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

3. Healthcare supporting staff

The pandemic has bolstered demand for people who support health care professionals who support doctors and nurses within the healthcare ecosystem. These individuals help usher patients through the healthcare system, keep records in order for doctors, and much more.

“Since 2019, hiring for these positions has increased more than 34%,” said LinkedIn. There are low opportunities for remote work.

Top job titles: Health Care Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, Home Health Aide

Skills: Patient Education, Data Entry, Physician Relations
Education: 83% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

4. Business development and sales professionals

Unsurprisingly, individuals in roles that brought in revenue to businesses grew during the pandemic. Hiring for these roles grew more than 45% between 2020 and 2019, said LinkedIn, and had low remote job availability.

Top job titles: Sales Consultant, Sales Operations Assistant, Inbound Sales Specialist, Strategic Advisor
Skills: Customer Retention, Sales Process, Team Building
Education: 92% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

5. Experts in workplace diversity

Social movements such as Black Lives Matter brought the world’s attention to the importance of racism and diversity in the workplace, especially in positions of power. Both large and small companies need diversity experts who could help them bring new voices into their organisations, and hiring for these roles increased more than 90% since 2019.

Top job titles: Diversity Manager, Diversity Officer, Head of Diversity, Diversity Coordinator
Skills: Community Outreach, Teaching, Organizational Development
Education: 99% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

6. Digital marketing professionals

With everyone stuck at home and glued to their screens during COVID-19, the role of digital marketing specialists have never been more important than ever for businesses to reach these eyeballs.

Hiring for digital marketing roles grew nearly 33% year-over-year.

Top job titles: Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, Marketing Representative, Search Engine Optimisation Specialist
Skills: Product Marketing, Digital Strategy, Brand Management
Education: 94% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

7. Nurses

Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system — be it in hospitals, schools, and even urgent care centres, to name a few, making it unsurprising that it made its way among the most in-demand jobs in the report.

It’s not just COVID-19 that’s bolstering demand for the role — LinkedIn notes that an aging population is also a contributing factor.

Demand for nurses grew nearly 30% year-over-year in 2020.

Top job titles: Registered Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, Intensive Care Nurse
Skills: Patient Advocacy, Clinical Research, Time Management
Education: 89% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

8. Education professionals

We see universities seeing an uptick in enrolments amid a tough job market. Meanwhile, demand also grew for support workers and tutors — hiring for these roles grew more than 20% between 2019 and 2020.

Top job titles: Teaching Assistant, Elementary School Teacher, Mathematics Tutor, Curriculum Developer
Skills: Lesson Planning, Time Management, Differentiated Instruction
Education: 97% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

9. Digital content creators

If you’re looking for a job with excellent remote work opportunities, this is the one for you. Digital content creators — be it for TikTok to podcasts — spiked by 49% year-over-year during the pandemic as people look forward to being entertained or even informed. There are many courses available for professionals to upskill in for in-demand jobs within this industry.

Top job titles: Content Coordinator, Writing Consultant, Podcaster, Blogger
Skills: Video Editing, Creative Writing, Public Speaking
Education: 92% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

10. Professional and personal coaches

Hiring for coaching roles increased more than 51% since 2019. Coaches help others carve themselves a new career or help businesses transform for the better.

Top job titles: Career Coordinator, Life Coach, Fitness Coach, Business Coach
Skills: Mentoring, Social Media, Entrepreneurship
Education: 92% of hires have a bachelor’s degree or higher

Other in-demand roles that appeared in the report include specialised engineers, mental health specialists, user experience professionals, data science specialists, and artificial intelligence practitioners.