Toys and Games Careers Outlook
The United States is the largest market for the entire industry, making up 41 percent of the global traditional toy market. The U.S. also leads the world in toy development as well as in the marketing, advertising, and promoting of toys. In addition, American toy makers are known for invention and design, and their toys are extremely popular abroad.
After years of strong increases, toy sales in 2005 dropped approximately 4.0 percent, according to a report by The NPD Group. Categories that remained stable or that experienced growth from 2004 to 2005 included action figures and accessories, dolls, and learning and exploration. Today, most toys sold in the United States are no longer produced in this country. Thus, while toys and games remain a major U.S. industry, the outlook for new jobs is not entirely positive.
Another reason for the toy industry decline is the trend away from traditional toys and games and the overwhelming popularity of interactive, computerized toys. The majority of these, like traditional toys, are manufactured overseas.
One factor in declining toy sales is a decline in the childhood population. For example, the Toy Industry Association reports that families are shrinking and parents are having fewer children. A possible balance for this may be the growing world market, which some analysts expect to eventually comprise up to 50 percent of revenue. Internet retailers may be able to reach more customers with a wider variety of products than that available in stores, but it’s not yet certain how online sales will affect the entire industry.
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Related Career Fields:
- Computer Science Career Field
- Electronics Career Field
- Manufacturing Career Field
- Sales Career Field
- Sports Career Field
Related Careers:
- Computer and Video Game Designers
- Sporting Goods Production Workers
- Toy and Game Designers
- Toy Industry Workers