By Jennifer Earl, April 29, 2019

If you're searching for the perfect career Opens a New Window. or thinking about switching fields, you may want to do your homework first.

While U.S. employers added 196,000 jobs Opens a New Window. in March — the 118th month of straight gains — and average hourly earnings rose by 4 cents ($27.70), that doesn't mean all occupations are seeing success.

In fact, some industries Opens a New Window. are actually seeing a rapid decline in terms of employees. And some states, in particular, are being hit harder than others. According to a study Opens a New Window. released earlier this month by personal finance website GoBankingRates.com, West Virginia, Alaska, New Mexico, Wyoming and Louisiana are among the worst states for job hunting.

Since 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Opens a New Window. has been projecting the fastest-declining occupations in the U.S. by 2026. Earlier this month, the agency updated its statistics to give job seekers a more recent look at how certain industries are doing — in terms of salary and projected growth.

Overall, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that employment will be up more than 7 percent in 2026. The agency previously said Opens a New Window. health care, health care support, construction and personal care fields would be amongst the fastest-growing occupations from 2012 to 2022.

Of the 818 occupations the bureau tracks, the agency found that locomotive firers, which receive an average annual salary of $63,820, will decline by -78.6 percent by 2026. Respiratory therapy technicians, which earn around $51,000, will also see a rapid dip of about -56.3 percent over seven years. Parking enforcement workers, averaging $39,840 per year, will also flounder — with the agency expecting a -35.3 percent decline in 2026.

Here's a list of the 25 occupations (in order) that will be hit the hardest by 2026.

1. Locomotive firers
2. Respiratory therapy technicians
3. Parking enforcement workers
4. Word processors and typists
5. Watch repairers
6. Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles
7. Foundry mold and coremakers
8. Pourers and casters, metal
9. Computer operators
10. Telephone operators
11. Mine shuttle car operators
12. Electromechanical equipment assemblers
13. Data entry keyers
14. Postmasters and mail superintendents
15. Electrical and electronic equipment assemblers
16. Coil winders, tapers, and finishers
17. Grinding and polishing workers, hand
18. Timing device assemblers and adjusters
19. Switchboard operators, including answering service
20. Prepress technicians and workers
21. Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
22. Textile knitting and weaving machine setters, operators, and tenders
23. Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
24. Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
25. Legal secretaries

https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/fas...ring-jobs-in-us