PENNSYLVANIA — A new national survey is sparking nostalgia — and debate — after revealing which long-disappeared jobs Americans wish they could bring back. And in Pennsylvania, one role topped the list by a wide margin: the gas-station attendant.
The report, released by resume.io, polled 3,014 adults age 45 and over to uncover the occupations people miss most as automation, self-service, and the digital economy have reshaped everyday life. The findings offer a sentimental snapshot of the jobs that once defined the rhythms, sounds, and small human interactions of daily routines.
According to the survey, Pennsylvanians’ top three most-missed roles are gas-station attendants, film developers, and video-rental clerks — each tied to eras when service came with conversation, and technology had not yet replaced the human touch.
Gas-station attendants, once fixtures at nearly every fuel stop, earned the No. 1 slot. For generations, they pumped gas, checked oil, washed windshields, and traded weekend stories under the smell of gasoline and motor oil. The job faded as self-service stations multiplied, taking with them a brand of customer service that today feels almost unimaginable.
The survey’s second-most-missed job, the film developer, harkens back to an age when photographs required patience — and mystery. Pennsylvanians recalled the anticipation of waiting days to discover whether vacation snapshots were blurry, overexposed, or perfect.
Video-rental clerks ranked third, as respondents remembered the era before streaming, when recommendations came from people, not algorithms. The best clerks remembered favorite genres, steered customers toward hidden gems, and occasionally nudged them toward unexpected choices that became household favorites.
Rounding out Pennsylvania’s top 10 were bowling-alley pin-setters, arcade attendants, toll-booth collectors, VHS repair technicians, record-store clerks, door-to-door encyclopedia salespeople, and paperboys — jobs that blended skill, personality, and analog charm.
Beyond vanished roles, the survey dug into what office workers remember most about the pre-digital workplace. Thirty percent of Pennsylvanians said they miss the rhythmic “clack” of the typewriter, while others cited the scent of fresh photocopies, the Rolodex, the always-temperamental fax machine, and the dot-matrix printer.
When asked which retro office gadget they would bring back for a week, respondents chose typewriters (28 percent), followed closely by pagers and overhead projectors.
Survey participants also shared which workplace era they would revisit: the 1980s topped the list at 42 percent — a decade they associate with ambition, glass-walled offices, and the unmistakable whir of machines that defined analog productivity.
Looking ahead, respondents also predicted which modern habits future generations will mock. Topping the list: Zoom marathons, “per my last email” exchanges, and the irony of using AI to write meeting notes about AI.
“There’s a comfort in remembering the small details of working life that used to define our days,” said Amanda Augustine, resume.io’s career expert and a Certified Professional Career Coach. “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.”
The nostalgia captured in the survey reflects more than a longing for old jobs — it reveals how deeply Pennsylvanians value the human moments that once shaped daily routines, from gas stations to video stores and office hallways. As workplaces grow quieter and more automated, the findings suggest a shared desire to reconnect with the personal interactions that defined an earlier era of American work.
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