Employment of food processing occupations is expected to grow by 12 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. More people around the world are demanding prepared and pre-cut food. Also, more people are buying partially prepared and easy-to-cook products. Both of these trends are expected to drive demand for food processing workers. These trends will create growth in the occupation even as new machines make the work more productive.
As the food processing industry becomes more consolidated, production processes become more streamlined. Therefore, the ability of processing facilities to employ meat cutters and trimmers should remain strong because of reduced costs in other areas of the industry.
A growing global population and increasing wealth among developing countries should cause demand for meat to increase worldwide. This is especially true for U.S.-made food products because they are produced to comparatively high food safety standards. Increased demand and steady turnover create good prospects for those wanting to enter food processing occupations.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition