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The Indicator from Planet Money · Monday, September 7, 2026

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: A Crystal Ball for Job Prospects?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a key resource for understanding future job market trends, as discussed by hosts Waylen Wong and Darren Woods. Listener Asa Hartsfield uses the OOH to find empirical data on job growth, median wages, and geographical concentrations for roles like Information Security Analyst.

personAsa HartsfieldcompanyBureau of Labor Statistics

The tape

4 quotes
Luckily, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is something of a crystal ball, in what's called the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Waylen Wong
And, you know, I try as best as I'm able to, to provide like, sort of empirically backed guidance.
Asa Hartsfield
He sees things like its median wage. $125,000.
Asa Hartsfield
He can also see the projected job growth to the year 2034. 29% growth.
Asa Hartsfield
Heard on The Indicator from Planet Money — “Which jobs are future-proofed?, published Monday, September 7, 2026. Heardvine summarizes and quotes with attribution and timestamps, and links to the original everywhere.
Transcribed via Gemini audio transcription · $0.01