Arkansas job market has good news for creative types

Final touches are made to a window display in a Primark store on Oxford Street, central London, Sunday April 11, 2021. Millions of people in Britain will get…

Final touches are made to a window display in a Primark store on Oxford Street, central London, Sunday April 11, 2021. Millions of people in Britain will get their first chance in months for haircuts, casual shopping and restaurant meals on Monday, as the government takes the next step on its lockdown-lifting roadmap. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)

by: Alex Kienlen

Posted: Dec 8, 2022 / 04:56 PM CST

Updated: Dec 8, 2022 / 04:56 PM CST

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas job market has seen a marked increase in a little-considered occupation, unlike the national market that has seen growth in easier-to-anticipate areas.

In a study published by CommercialCafe on Dec. 6, Arkansas saw a 324% increase in jobs for Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers between 2012 and 2021. The study used data from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics to arrive at these figures.

In 2012 Arkansas had 460 people employed as displayers/trimmers, which grew to 1,950 in 2021, according to the BLS figures.

Nationally, the study showed significant job growth in the green energy sector, with a 248% increase in solar photovoltaic installers and a 216% increase in wind turbine service technicians for the 2012 – 2021 period.

The solar installers reflect an increase in the use of that power source, which generated 1.2 million megawatt hours in 2010 but then climbed to 91 million MWh by 2020. The installer job market went from 4,710 in 2012 to 16,420 in 2021.

Wind turbine service technicians have the same story, with the service technician market growing from 3,200 in 2012 to 10,100 by 2021, according to CommericalCafe.

The numbers can be tricky, however. The same study showed a 155% increase in prosthodontists, dentists specializing in treating complex dental and facial matters, jobs between 2012 and 2021. The problem is that the hard numbers moved from 310 prosthodontists in 2012 to 790 in 2021, a relatively small number overall.

The study also found that Colorado saw a significant jump in the Manicurist/Pedicurist field, which jumped 455% between 2012 and 2021 by adding 2,640 jobs.