Paperboy Voted The ‘Lost Job’ Hoosiers Miss Most
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.
Here are the lost jobs Hoosiers have most nostalgia for:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.”
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. Switchboard operator
“Connecting you now…” They made the world go round with a tangle of wires and perfect diction. A walking, talking network before Wi-Fi and smartphones replaced human connection with a literal connection.
10. Typist
They turned dictation into documents, powered by caffeine and rhythmic keystrokes. Their work sounded like productivity itself — a satisfying clatter we now fake with keyboard sound effects.
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 Hoosiers 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.”
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