Growing trade offers low wages

The largest two categories of America’s fastestgrowing jobs offer some of the country’s lowest wages and weakest benefits.

Over the next 10 years, analysts expect to see 1.2 million more jobs for home health aides and personal care aides, according to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those are more positions than the projected job creation in the eight other most rapidly growing fields combined.

By 2026, the home health aide industry will add 425,600 positions, an increase of 46.7 percent, the government estimates show. The occupation’s median annual wage today is $22,600.

The ranks of personal care aides, who handle mostly domestic tasks, meanwhile, are expected to grow by 754,000 jobs, or 37.6 percent. These aides typically make about $21,000 a year.

Solar-cell installer and wind-turbine technician jobs, which come with larger paychecks, are projected to grow by 105 percent and 96 percent respectively, but the tiny fields will add