Here are the Lehigh Valley’s top 25 growing occupations and industries
“Many of these postings are for essential workers, highlighting the jobs in demand during a pandemic, but it also points to the needs of Lehigh Valley’s biggest employers that require technical expertise. That can be found in Lehigh Valley, where our institutions have built a strong talent pipeline.”
05/11/2021
The Lehigh Valley is coming off a challenging year in jobs, with unemployment reaching 16.7% last April before dipping down and holding steady for the final three months of the year.
The unemployment rate remains higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, which means there are still people looking for work.
And Lehigh Valley employers are continuing to look for workers -- by the thousands.
Which occupants and industries are growing the fastest? What employers are doing the most hiring, and what job certifications are most in demand?
To answer these questions, we looked at job trend data compiled by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry for online job postings in January across the Lehigh Valley Workforce Development Area covering Lehigh and Northampton counties.
The listings represent a diversity of openings, according to an analysis by the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp.
“The job postings reflect the robustness of the Lehigh Valley job market, even during the pandemic,” said Karianne Gelinas, LVEDC vice president of business development and talent supply. “They show a wide range of occupations available to workers of all education and skill levels, and the diversity of Lehigh Valley’s economy with major employment sectors such as health care, manufacturing, logistics and retail.
“Many of these postings are for essential workers, highlighting the jobs in demand during a pandemic, but it also points to the needs of Lehigh Valley’s biggest employers that require technical expertise. That can be found in Lehigh Valley, where our institutions have built a strong talent pipeline.”
Job seekers can learn more about what’s available through careerlinklehighvalley.org.
Following are a series of charts looking at the “25 Fastest Growing Occupations in the Lehigh Valley,” “25 Fastest Growing Industries in the Lehigh Valley,” “25 Lehigh Valley Employers with the Most Job Listings” and “Lehigh Valley’s Most In Demand Job Certifications.” You can click the links in this paragraph to view them, since they may not display properly on all platforms.
25 Fastest Growing Occupations in the Lehigh Valley
Based on online job postings in January 2021 compared to January 2020 across Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Volume Change
Jan-21
Jan-20
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
213 420 207
Security Guards
127 226 99
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
104 336 232
Home Health Aides
58 142 84
Medical Assistants
55 138 83
Packers and Packagers, Hand
42 60 18
Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
39 122 83
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
39 257 218
Registered Nurses
35 439 404
Nursing Assistants
35 140 105
Stock Clerks-Stockroom, Warehouse, or Storage Yard
34 84 50
Phlebotomists
33 58 25
Construction Laborers
29 46 17
Mental Health Counselors
27 42 15
Production Workers, All Other
26 123 97
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
26 109 83
Human Resources Specialists
25 78 53
General and Operations Managers
24 132 108
Shipping, Receiving, and Traffic Clerks
22 66 44
Driver/Sales Workers
22 93 71
Patient Representatives
21 108 87
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
21 30 9
Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
20 82 62
First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators
20 37 17
Electronics Engineering Technicians
20 33 13
Chart: Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Get the data Created with Datawrapper
25 Fastest Growing Industries in the Lehigh Valley
Based on online job postings in January 2021 compared to January 2020 across Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Volume Change
Jan-21
Jan-20
Couriers and Express Delivery Services
77
130
53
Home Health Care Services
55
92
37
Process, Physical Distribution, and Logistics Consulting Services
54
78
24
Pet and Pet Supplies Stores
45
58
13
Software Publishers
40
56
16
Limited-Service Restaurants
36
106
70
Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters
30
94
64
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled Nursing Facilities)
30
84
54
General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers
27
46
19
Truck, Utility Trailer, and RV (Recreational Vehicle) Rental and Leasing
25
42
17
Gasoline Stations with Convenience Stores
22
24
2
Electronic Shopping
20
53
33
Books Printing
19
33
14
Other Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers
17
151
134
Security Guards and Patrol Services
16
56
40
Kidney Dialysis Centers
16
17
1
Furniture Stores
16
25
9
All Other General Merchandise Stores
16
48
32
Mail-Order Houses
15
22
7
Credit Bureaus
15
32
17
Pharmacies and Drug Stores
13
93
80
Janitorial Services
13
19
6
Power-Driven Handtool Manufacturing
12
25
13
Other Residential Care Facilities
10
62
52
Employment Placement Agencies
10
14
4
Chart: Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Get the data Created with Datawrapper
25 Lehigh Valley Employers with the Most Job Listings
Based on online job postings in January 2021, with comparison to January 2020, across Lehigh and Northampton counties.
Jan-21
Jan-20
Volume Change
St. Luke's University Health Network
888
763
125
Lehigh Valley Health Network
661
596
65
Allied Universal
151
44
107
Air Products and Chemicals
151
134
17
B Braun Medical Incorporated
130
77
53
Htss, Inc
107
20
87
FedEx
93
17
76
Compass Group North America
85
181
−96
HCR ManorCare
84
52
32
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network
84
77
7
Sodexo
84
125
−41
Walmart / Sam's
72
55
17
Bayada Home Health Care
67
21
46
XPO Logistics
66
8
58
CVS Health
64
34
30
Kidspeace
62
52
10
Health Network Laboratories
57
41
16
Lowe's Companies, Inc
56
65
−9
Redners Markets Incorporated
55
8
47
The Home Depot Incorporated
55
59
−4
Olympus Corporation Of The Americas
53
0
53
Petco
53
8
45
Cedar Fair
53
8
45
Amazon
52
31
21
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc
50
43
7
CertificationJan-21Driver's License1,665Registered Nurse459First Aid CPR AED343CDL Class A227Basic Life Saving (BLS)156Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)132OSHA Forklift Certification91Certified Nursing Assistant84Certified Public Accountant (CPA)78Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification76Home Health Aide72Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Certification62Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certification56Certified Medical Assistant52American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) Certification52ServSafe50Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner43Project Management Certification36Caregiver31Social Work License30
Table: Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Get the data Created with Datawrapper
Chart: Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Get the data Created with Datawrapper
Here is additional context on the Lehigh Valley employment scene compiled by the LVEDC, which offers a look into “Lehigh Valley Hot Careers 2020-2021” at lehighvalley.org:
Apartmentlist.com, a leading source of U.S. rental information, reported that 38% of Lehigh Valley’s workforce had jobs deemed essential in the pandemic economy and that could not be done from home, putting the Valley in the top 10 metropolitan regions in the country with that high of a percentage.
The job postings were offered by some of the region’s biggest employers: St. Luke’s University Health Network, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Air Products, B Braun and FedEx Ground.
Besides the hospitals and distribution centers, the employers who added the most job postings include a medical device manufacturer, B Braun. That exemplifies the growth we’ve seen in the life science sector. Other life science companies – including OraSure Technologies, U.S. Specialty Formulations and CryoConcepts – have announced either facility expansions or equipment investment that’s expected to add hundreds of jobs to the Lehigh Valley.
Job postings show distribution companies were offering pay of $15 an hour and up for people with a high school education during a recession. More recently, one company was advertising for $23 an hour.
While employment in the transportation and distribution industry initially suffered during the pandemic, it recovered by the end of the second quarter and continued to climb. Employment in the larger metropolitan area, which also includes Carbon and Monroe counties, were higher in December year over year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The distribution industry, galvanized by the rise in e-commerce during the pandemic, is particularly noteworthy. The region has attracted national logistics companies for years and that footprint expanded during the pandemic because the access the interstates give not just to the Northeast market but inland ports like Nashville and Columbus.
The region had about 9 million square feet in industrial buildings under construction at the end of 2020, about 6% of its inventory. That put Lehigh Valley among the top industrial markets in the nation in terms of construction as a percentage of industrial inventory, behind only Nashville and Austin, according to CoStar.
Credit: Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. lehighvalleylive.com Published on Updated Mar 02, 2021; Posted Mar 01, 2021
