Every year, the U.S. Labor Department quietly updates its list of professions that have officially vanished — those too small to even count in the nation’s monthly jobs report.
Once upon a time, the lineup included blacksmiths, shoemakers, screen printers, and hardwood-veneer makers; now, it is breakfast cereal manufacturers that are casualties of progress.
But in an age when AI is threatening to automate everything from copywriting to customer service, resume.io wanted to know: which jobs do people actually miss?
Their survey of 3,014 people (45+) paints a nostalgic picture of the roles that once gave everyday life its quirks – the small interactions, the smells, the sounds – before everything went digital, self-serve, or algorithm-driven.
Most missed
Here are the lost jobs Ohioans have most nostalgia for:
#1 Gas-station attendant
Once upon a time, you didn’t pump your own gas — someone else cleaned your windshield, topped up your oil, and asked about your weekend. It was customer service with a side of conversation and motor oil.
#2 Video-rental clerk
They were part movie critic, part matchmaker. You would walk in for Die Hard and somehow leave with The Notebook — “Trust me, you’ll thank me later.” Their secret power? Remembering your late fees and your favorite genre — the original algorithm, only with better banter.
#3 Bowling-alley pin-setter
Before machines did it, actual humans dodged flying pins to reset them. It was chaos, danger, and minimum wage — the original “hardcore mode” job.
#4 Arcade attendant
Guardians of neon chaos. They fixed jammed coin slots, enforced “no leaning on the pinball machine” rules, and handed out the last few precious prize tickets like Willy Wonka golden passes. The arcade attendant was the unsung hero of adolescent joy.
#5 Toll-booth collector
Before E-ZPass, you would toss a handful of change and maybe get a smile or a weather update in return. These roadside sentinels saw America one quarter at a time — and gave a human face to the phrase “thank you, drive safe.”
#6 VHS repair technician
The surgeon of tangled tape. They wielded screwdrivers and rewinding machines like tools of salvation — because your sister would not forgive you for breaking The Little Mermaid again.
#7 Record-store clerk
Cooler than anyone you knew, with an encyclopedic knowledge of B-sides and attitude to match. They judged your taste but also helped shape it — a cultural gatekeeper before playlists made everyone a DJ.
#8 Film developer
They saw your life one awkward vacation photo at a time. Waiting three days to see if your eyes were open in the group shot? That was patience — and mystery — the digital age will never recapture.
#9 Door-to-door encyclopedia salesperson
The original content marketers. They lugged knowledge from doorstep to doorstep, selling not just books, but the dream of having a “smart” home long before Alexa.
#10 Paperboy
Rain, shine, or broken bike chain — they delivered your morning headlines before breakfast. A generation learned responsibility (and forearm strength) tossing rolled-up newspapers onto porches.
Infographic showing the most missed jobs in each state
After identifying the nation’s most-missed jobs, resume.io looked beyond VHS counters and toll booths to explore the everyday sights and sounds of working life before everything moved online. Here is what they found:
Which office relic do Ohioans remember most fondly?
- The clack of the typewriter (30%) – There was rhythm, there was purpose, and there was no “delete” key to save you from yourself. Every typo was a commitment.
- The smell of fresh photocopies (26%) – A crisp scent of productivity — or ozone and toner, depending on who you ask. Either way, it meant something was getting done.
- The Rolodex (23%) – A spinning wheel of human connection, from pizza places to power brokers. Unlike your phone contacts, you actually knew who half the people were.
- The fax machine (15%) – Always jamming, always whining — yet somehow vital. It made even the smallest memo feel like a cross-border negotiation.
- The dot-matrix printer (6%) – Loud, slow, and oddly satisfying, like a mechanical caterpillar printing your destiny one hole-punched page at a time.
Which retro office gadget would people bring back for a week?
- Typewriter — 28%. Emails might take longer to regret, but each one would sound like a Hemingway draft. Plus, you would finally have an excuse for all the dramatic sighing.
- Pager – 27%. Before notifications became anxiety in disguise, pagers let you ignore people with poetic ambiguity.
- Overhead projector — 21%. There was something magical about that warm glow and the clatter of plastic sheets. Every meeting became a performance — juggling transparencies, dodging glare, and pretending the marker smudges were part of the plan.
- In-tray/out-tray – 17%. A physical symbol of productivity – proof that your chaos had structure. Today’s digital folders just don’t pile up as impressively.
- Dictaphone – 7%. For those who love the sound of their own voice, it was pure bliss — and a great way to seem important while narrating your to-do list.
If you could bring back one era of work…
- The 1950s (19%) – When “coffee breaks” meant gossip, loyalty was for life, and secondhand smoke counted as air conditioning.
- The 1970s (16%) – A time of solidarity and sideburns — when typewriters clacked in harmony with protest chants and polyester suits.
- The 1980s (42%) – Power ties, fax tones, and ambition loud enough to echo through glass offices. You didn’t just work hard — you walked fast with a briefcase.
- The 1990s (23%) – Cubicle farms, CD-ROMs, and the mysterious dial-up screech that promised both connection and chaos.
What modern workplace habits will people laugh at in 30 years?
- “Per my last email” (20%).
- Zoom marathons (31%).
- Tracking time in six different apps (17%).
- Team-building over Slack (10%).
- Asking AI to write meeting notes about AI (22%).
“There’s a comfort in remembering the small details of working life that used to define our days – the hum of a printer, the click of a keyboard, even the frustration of a fax machine,” says Amanda Augustine, resume.io‘s resident career expert and a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
“It’s a reminder that work wasn’t just about output; it was about atmosphere — something we risk losing as offices become quieter and more digital.”
Knox Community Hospital proudly supports the vibrant pulse of our community by sponsoring the Life & Culture section on Knox Pages, celebrating the stories and experiences that make our region unique.