Printing Press Operators and Assistants

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment of press operators will decline through 2024. An increased demand for printed materials—advertising, direct mail pieces, books, and magazines—will be offset by the use of larger, more efficient machines. Additionally, new business practices such as printing-on-demand (where materials are printed in smaller amounts as they are requested by customers instead of being printed in large runs that may not be used) and electronic publishing (which is the publication of materials on the Internet or through other electronic methods of dissemination) will also limit opportunities for workers in this field.