Popular Jobs Held 100 Years Ago Prove How Drastically The World Has Changed

The advent of technology changes the needs in the job market. For instance, car culture in the U.S. probably put plenty of horse buggy manufacturers out of business. One hundred years ago, television, the internet, and even sliced bread weren’t a thing, and because society had different needs, some careers were much more popular in the 1920s than in the 2020s. Using available 1920s Census Bureau information, as well as modern data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we looked into just how much the professional world has changed over a century.

Teachers

Child labor laws weren’t in effect until 1938, meaning that some children were forced to work long hours in dangerous factories instead of attending school. Luckily, that changed. Now there are 1,569,000 elementary school teachers, 615,700 middle school teachers, and 1,072,500 high school teachers. There were 761,766 in the 1920s.

Draymen, or Delivery Drivers

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, restaurants leaned into the delivery side of their businesses, creating an enormous number of delivery drivers. Though 1920s Americans had lived through the 1918 flu pandemic, this wasn’t as popular of a job. There were about 411,132 delivery drivers nationwide.

Clothing Industry

Shopping for clothing is a process that’s completely transformed. There are specialized stores for almost every need: wedding dresses, lingerie, suits, and even hats. In the 1920s, 409,361 people were working in the garment industry; in 2019, there were 1,320,600 workers.

Carpenters

One trade that hasn’t seen much change is carpentry. Modern woodworkers (there are 1,006,500 of 'em) still use hammers, screwdrivers, nails, and similar tools as their 1920s counterparts (of which there were 887,379). And in the 2030s, there are expected to be more carpenters than ever as America’s wooden construction needs increase. We’ll see what the future brings.