Shoe and leather workers

Number employed in 2006: 20,000
Percent change in 2016: Shoe and leather workers and repairers, -10.3 percent; store machine operators and tenders, -35.7 percent
Education/training: Skills are typically learned on the job, but manual dexterity and mechanical aptitude are necessary as well. Apprenticeships and other forms of formal, in-house training can take up to two years.
2006 median salary: Shoe and leather workers and repairers, $20,450; store machine operators and tenders, $21,910
Job outlook: The field will decline rapidly as companies import less expensive foreign shoes. The demand for shoe repair has also declined as more people opt just to buy a new pair of shoes.

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