Recession-Proof Jobs

The recession may be taking a toll on jobs in manufacturing, newspapers, housing and the financial sector, but some jobs are recession-proof. While no job has 100 percent security, some jobs do well during hard times and some are simply needed regardless of what the economy is doing. Here are three fields that are resisting the recession: 

Teaching 

Education tops the list of jobs-for-the-future according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Information Network. Just about every grade level is looking for teachers who specialize in high-demand fields such as math, science or bilingual education. As long as the U.S. wants to remain competitive with other countries in engineering, technology and medicine, math and science teachers will be in demand. College instructors also have a much better job outlook as college enrollment increases because of the rising number of 18 to 24-year-olds.

More adults are returning to school to enhance their career prospects. An aging population is fueling the desire for lifetime learning, as older adults want to learn new job skills or to pursue some new hobby or passion late in life. More English-as-a-second language classes are needed to meet the demands of a growing immigrant population. Teaching positions are increasing the most in fast-growing states in the South and West, such as Nevada, Arizona, Georgia and Texas. 

Energy and the Environment 

Given the green light by President Barack Obama, green energy is a major focus of the federal stimulus package. Though the search is on for new sources of energy, consumption of energy is expected to continue to grow around the world. 

The new green initiative is likely to create new jobs in any field involved in developing alternative energy sources, including solar, wind and nuclear as well as fuel cell technology. More environmental scientists, environmental engineers and hydrologists will be needed to help the world cope with     

Vocational training and several years of on-the-job training are required for jobs such as power plant operators, insulation works and electrical power-line installers and repairers. 

Health Care 

Doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist and physician assistant are all specific jobs with stable prospects because of an increasingly aging population. The health care industry includes many of the nation’s fastest-growing careers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

A shortage of nurses is being predicted, partly because of aging Baby Boomers, but also because of advances in medicine. Patients are living longer with serious illnesses such as cancer and HIV because of medical breakthroughs, but that also means they need more long-term care. Also, with more careers open to women now, fewer are entering the traditionally female profession. 

The cover, cost and quality of care are the focus of the Obama administration’s effort to reform health insurance practices, which may open up new opportunities. Besides health-care professionals, the industry also requires many support personnel, such as secretaries, accountants and administrators.