"Forgotten Industry: Why LinkedIn Needs to Recognize Funeral Service Professionals"
Every industry has a story—of innovation, dedication, and societal impact. Yet LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking platform, seems to have overlooked an industry that touches every single life: Funeral Service.
Two Certainties
Benjamin Franklin famously quipped that nothing is certain except "death and taxes." I'd argue the only guarantees we truly all share are being born and eventually passing away. We rightfully celebrate birth and acknowledge countless industries supporting life's milestones: healthcare, education, hospitality, entertainment, and beyond. Yet, when it comes to life's final milestone, an entire profession dedicated to dignity, respect, and compassion goes unnoticed—at least according to LinkedIn.
Hundreds of Thousands—Unseen
According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the funeral service industry in the U.S. alone employs tens of thousands of dedicated professionals—directors, embalmers, grief counselors, support staff, cremation specialists, cemetery operators, and more. Globally, that number easily rises to hundreds of thousands. Each one of these individuals dedicates their career—and often their entire life—to caring for families during some of their most vulnerable moments.
Funeral service professionals operate at the intersection of healthcare, emotional support, logistics, counseling, and community service. They navigate complex situations with empathy, precision, and professionalism. Yet, LinkedIn has never even recognized Funeral Service as an industry category, forcing these professionals to awkwardly fit themselves into generalized categories that never truly reflect their roles.
It's More Than Semantics
At first glance, this may seem like a trivial oversight. However, recognition matters. When a profession isn't explicitly acknowledged, opportunities for networking, professional advancement, industry-specific insights, and recruiting diminish. Without a dedicated industry option, funeral professionals must awkwardly categorize themselves under broader terms such as "Individual & Family Services" or "Consumer Services," neither of which accurately represents their specialized expertise.
This lack of representation further perpetuates a harmful stigma: that deathcare and funeral services are taboo topics, undeserving of clear and proud recognition. It sends an unintended message that their work is somehow lesser-than or invisible.
LinkedIn Can Lead the Way
LinkedIn has a remarkable opportunity here. By formally recognizing "Funeral Service" as an official industry, they can:
Foster stronger professional connections and communities among deathcare workers.
Enhance recruitment efforts, empowering funeral homes and related businesses to clearly identify and attract top talent.
Increase public awareness and reduce stigma about deathcare and funeral service professions.
Adding Funeral Service to their industry categories would cost LinkedIn little—but its positive impact on funeral service professionals around the globe would be immeasurable.
A Call to Action
Today, I call upon LinkedIn—respectfully, urgently—to correct this oversight.
Recognize Funeral Service as an industry. Recognize the tireless professionals who guide us through life’s inevitable goodbye. It's the right thing to do. It matters to us. It matters to families everywhere.
Together, we can ensure our professions are visible, respected, and acknowledged—exactly as they should be.
Because dignity always matters.