Dead-end jobs: Mail carriers, meter readers, reporters

This probably won’t come as much of a shock to mail carriers, but this is a really lousy time to be a mail carrier, according to a new survey.

In its annual list of endangered jobs, Career Cast, a job-listing site, says mail carrier is the No. 1 most endangered job.

Meter readers, farmers, and newspaper reporters are also on the list of jobs on the way out.

Technology has had a major impact on several other jobs ranked among the most endangered jobs of 2015. More Americans choose to correspond via email or text message, dramatically slashing the amount of mail and reducing the need for postal services.

Programs like PayPal also allow for people to electronically transfer funds they would have otherwise sent through the mail.

Mail carrier is the most profoundly impacted of the 10 most endangered jobs, expected to lose 28% of its workforce by 2022.

Not far behind are meter readers. Utility usage can now be effectively tracked digitally, eliminating the need for on-site documentation of water or electrical consumption at individual households and businesses.

Another industry in decline is the media industry, which is undergoing a profound transformation as outlets work to keep up with evolving technology. From its earliest days, the internet has posed a challenge to those steering the course of newspapers.

If you want a job with a future, another survey says, be good at math.