The Beauty Industry is on the Upswing!

One reason that many people choose to get into an occupation is because professionals in the field are in great demand. Federal figures shows that the beauty industry is expected to grow over the next few of years. This means there will be more jobs and the beauty economy in the United States will improve. It’s a great time to become a makeup professional, barber, nail tech or any other type of skilled beauty expert!

beautiful dollar
Beautiful gold coin

The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts out the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) every two years. This handbook shows that beauty occupations are expecting growth. In the report from December 2015 this bureau took a look at over 329 occupations or 83 percent of all jobs. This report has job outlooks from 2014-2024:

  • The economy in the United States is expected to add new jobs at a rate of less than seven percent.
  • The beauty industry including jobs in hair and nails are expected to see a 10 percent growth. Those that specialize in skin care are projected to rise by 12 percent.
  • Cosmetology jobs ranked sixth for overall job growth but requires some training which varies by state. To work in this field a person must also pass a state test.

Instagram is a good example of how social media influences job growth and development within the beauty business. This site allows users to share photos. There are over five million pictures that are shown daily. By 2015 there were more than 80 billion pictures being shared each day. There are also 40 billion daily uploads of new pictures. Beauty is a visual industry and instagram is visual by nature allowing everyone — no matter how remote — to keep up with beauty trends and network with employers and colleagues.

There has also been a boom in the male grooming industry. In 2013 men spend over $17,000,000,000 (yes, that’s billion!) worldwide on grooming services. Since then the industry has grown and is projected to keep growing. It is estimate that the industry will top 26 billion dollars in business by 2020. According to the Consumer Snapshot which is published by the International Spa Association, more spas are offering packages that are geared towards men. Men make up almost half of the population in the United States that uses spa services. This is not only good for spas but also the entire beauty industry.

Between the years 2003 and 2014 the total number of spas rose by sixty percent in the United States. The number of visits to the spa has also increased. In 2014 Americans went to the spa a total of 176 million times. This was a rise from 136 million visits ten years before. People also spend an average of $88 more during each visit.

The average person is now more concerned with the way that they present themselves. Physical appearance can obviously influence perception and can have an impact on the way that a person is treated. This gives us plenty of reasons to want to look our best.

Boston U where the makeup study was done
Boston U by John Phelan [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
According to studies by the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, The Boston University, and Dana Farber Cancer Institute women who used makeup and cosmetic products are judged to be more trustworthy then women who do not use any form of beauty enhancement products. According the American Economic Review (2013) women that wore makeup made 30 percent more in their salaries than women who did not. This encourages many people who visit spas tobook their next appointment before leaving so that they stay up-to-date with their beauty needs. Indeed, availing yourself of beauty services is becoming more of a need than a luxury in many women’s and men’s lives nowadays.