As part of a series looking at employment trends for the coming decade [3], NPR has created an interactive chart [4] summarizing their findings:

You've got to go to the actual graph to see the data, but once you do, the message is clear: White-collar service jobs will be huge. The fastest growing sectors there will be computer systems design and technical consulting, at 43% and 81% respectively.

But the most troubling facet of the graph is the growth in health care, where jobs will expand by 19%. (As the Congressional Budget Office has shown [5], health care will become 25% of the GDP by 2025 if current growth rates persist.) Why is that troubling? Well consider the resources and education going towards simply taking care of our health--rather than building the U.S.'s global competitiveness in areas such as professional services or science. It's hard to believe that the U.S. will continue to grow its profile as a leading economy with so many resources pointed internally.

And that points to one of the most difficult things about health care reform: The effects of the current bills before Congress and the Senate have been sold variously as an ethical mandate to provide health care to all and a cost-saving measure aimed at curbing growth that will eventually cripple the economy. The former is an easier sell to the public (even though it appears to be failing [6]). But the latter is vitally important to the U.S.'s future economic prospects.

For more Infographics of the Day click here [7].

[Via Chart Porn [8]]