The Indicator from Planet Money · Monday, September 7, 2026
The BLS's Occupational Outlook Handbook, first published in 1947 to assist returning World War II veterans, has maintained significant popularity and is the most visited section of the BLS website. Early predictions, like the increased demand for archaeologists due to highway construction, and the rise in veterinarians due to suburban pet ownership, have shown historical foresight.
“It had a really wide circulation. The circulation in the U.S. approached that of the New York Times best seller.”
“These huge construction projects would unearth a lot of artifacts. And so the, uh, the BLS predicted that demand for archaeologists would go up.”
“Even trends for men having longer hair in the 1970s. The prediction for decreased demand for barbers. People didn't need to get their haircuts as often.”