Tattoos were once only for gang members, prisoners, and motorcycle riders, but in today's modern world they are becoming more popular. Older generations still have the mentality that tattoos come with a negative connotation, and that individuals who have them are 'outcasts' of society. As newer generations are rising up, so is the increase in body art, but does this affect how individuals get professional jobs? There has been extensive research and statistics recently regarding how tattoos affect careers and professional jobs in modern times.
As of 2017, 56 million Millennials, those aged 18 to 35 made up the workforce, either working or looking for work. An estimated 47% of those in that group, have at least one tattoo; 37% have at least two; 15% have five or more. When hiring individuals for jobs now, employers are having a harder time selecting candidates who have no body art. 70% of millennial tattoos are in places that are not visible in the workplace. Because of the increased amount of tattoos, Millenials are pouring large amounts of money into the tattoo industry annually.
Last year, alone in 2018, the tattoo industry generated an estimated $1.6 billion in revenue, according to the market research firm IBISWorld. The prediction for the industry's growth does not seem to be easing up either. Over the next decade, the industry is expected to continue to grow at an annualized rate of 7.7%. With the rise of the tattoo industry, another similar industry has grown as well. This industry that is growing alongside the tattoo industry is tattoo removals, proliferating the permanent ink markings. With the increase of tattoos on Millenials, and Millenials making up a majority of the workforce, employers are bound to interview and hire individuals with tattoos.
Studies show that Americans have become very accepting of tattoos, "Not only are the wages and annual earnings of tattooed employees in the United States statistically indistinguishable from the wages and annual earnings of employees without tattoos, but tattooed individuals are also just as likely, and in some instances even more likely, to gain employment." Scientists behind a study asked 2,064 people across all 50 U.S. states about their tattoos, earnings, wages, and employment. Only half of the people who answered the questionnaire came from big cities, showing not only big city individuals love tattoos. Researchers discovered that having a tattoo doesn't appear to be linked in any way to employment discrimination or lower wages. In fact, tattoos seemed to be a small positive. On average, people with tattoos worked a few more days and hours a year than people who didn't have body art. Researchers also found that tattoos are much more common in blue-collar jobs than in white-collar ones. New studies are constantly showing that tattoos have become far more acceptable in the workplace, and do not directly affect the ability to get a job.
So if getting a tattoo is something you have always considered, then my thought is to get it. As long as you are positively sure that you will enjoy it for the rest of your life. Since tattoo's don't seem to directly affect one's ability to get a job, my guess is that in future years it will not affect it either.
