Glad to see some positive news in the March 2009 issue of HR Magazine in regard to employment prospects. An article by Bill Leonard in the HR News section caught my attention because it actually found a bright spot in an otherwise dismal quarter of staggering job losses. Mr. Leonard writes . . .
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in the health care industry increased by 32,000 in December 2008, making it the only major private industry sector to add a significant number of jobs at year-end. The health care industry added mor than 370,000 jobs in 2008, surpassing all other private-industry categories.
Although demand for health care workers is strong in nearly every position, including managerial and administrative jobs, nursing outstrips all other occupations and is listed as the top “in-demand occupation” by the federal Career Voyages web site, a project of the U.S. departments of Labor and Education (see Top Ten list below).
The strength of the health job market isn’t enough to offset the massive job losses in sectors such as finance, manufacturing and retail. However, demand for skilled workers in information technology and green and renewable energy industries could help stabilize the job merket as the need for qualified workers in those sectors should remain strong, recruiting and industry analysts predict.
A survey by ExecuNet, an online career service for executives found in December 2008 that 40% of the respondents reported that they saw signs of rising demand for managerial talent — a strong increase compared to 26% reported just a month earlier.
Education should be another strong sector, analysts agree. Qualified elementary and secondary school teachers will remain in high demand.
When it comes to green technnology the hottest job prospects will be in areas such as forestry, wind turbine manufacturing, solar-energy research and development, and environmental engineering. However growth in this industry will depend heavily on policies of the Obama administration, proposed tax incentives, and potential government funding.
Top 10 ‘In-Demand’ Occupations
1. Registered Nurses
2. General and Operations Managers
3. Physicians and Surgeons
4. Elementary School Teachers
5. Accountants and Auditors
6. Computer Software Engineers
7. Sales Representatives and Managers
8. Computer System Analysts
9. Management Analysts
10. Secondary School Teachers
Source: Career Voyages, www.careervoyages.gov
