From 2006-16, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the U.S.civilian noninstitutional population will increase by 21.8 million.[1]   Americans will age, with baby boomers representing the largest segment of the population and the pool of younger adults in the workforce shrinking due to lower birth rates in later generations.

Our economy will change to accommodate these demographic shifts.  As skilled jobs take up a greater portion of the job market than ever before, most of the hottest jobs will require a minimum of an associates degree, while jobs requiring only on the job training will decline. Automation and technological changes will alter or eliminate some jobs, while creating new opportunities for technology and information workers.  The greatest employment gains will be made by the educational and health services industries, with a dramatic 18.8 percent increase projected for the coming decade.  In reaction to the aging population, health care alone is expected to grow by over 25%.

Hottest Industries

Educational and Health Services

Fastest growing jobs (projected):

Personal and home care aids, home health aids, veterinary technicians, medical assistants, veterinarians, substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors, social and human service assistants, physical therapist assistants, pharmacy technicians, dental hygienists, mental health counselors, and mental health and substance abuse social workers

Professional and Business Services

Includes science and technology, as well as human resources and administration.

Fastest growing jobs (projected):

Network systems and data communications analysts and computer software engineers (applications)

Financial Activities*

Includes real estate and rental leasing, finance, insurance, securities and other investments, as well as credit intermediation and other services

Fastest growing jobs (projected):

personal financial advisors, financial analysts

*These predictions were made prior to the bank closures of October 2008. The financial services industry has cooled substantially.

Government

A very diverse industry.  Gains are expected particularly in the area of public safety, while some segments such as federal employment (including the postal service) are expected to decline.

Fastest growing jobs (projected):

Forensic science technicians, financial analysts*
*our prediction

Hot Industries

Information

Includes software publishing, internet publishing and broadcasting, and wireless telecommunication carriers as well as motion picture production; broadcasting; and newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishing.

Leisure and Hospitality

Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, including accommodation and food services.

Trade, Transportation, and Utilities

Includes transportation and warehousing, utilities, truck and rail transportation, as well as retail and wholesale trade.

Other Services

Includes religious organizations, automotive repair and maintenance, organizations and associations (such as labor organizations and home owners associations.)

Construction

Commercial, road, bridge and tunnel construction are expected to increase as greater demand is placed on our infrastructure.

Cold Industries

Manufacturing

Expected to decline in all but a few areas, such as pharmaceutical and medicine.

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

Expected to decline significantly, particularly in crop production.  The sole exception is expected to be support activities for agriculture and industry, including farm labor contractors and farm management services.

Mining*

Employment in the mining industry is expected to decline slightly, as changes are made in technology and safety regulations.

*At least in the short term, this prediction is proving to be inaccurate.  Throughout 2008, mining consistently added new jobs to the US workforce.   With renewed talk of clean coal technology investment and increasing energy demands worldwide, the mining industry may buck government predictions and remain strong for some time.

References

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics “Tomorrow’s Jobs” Report, from the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 edition

With all of the economic instability lately, September’s Bureau of Labor Statistics Jobs Report showing unemployment holding steady at 6.1% can only be interpreted as good news.  However, given the numerous substantial changes to major financial employers at the end of September those numbers are likely to change shortly.

For now, let’s look at the Jobs Report optimistically.  This Summer’s employment trends continued into Fall, with the health care industry adding jobs, while construction, manufacturing, and retail declined.

Another rising industry we have not discussed extensively before is mining.   The BLS indicates steady job growth in this key United States industry.  You don’t have to be ready to strap on a helmet lamp to find a job in this sector, however.  Mining companies also need accountants, administrative staff, financial analysts, security specialists, and more.  If you are looking for greater job security and are willing to relocate, consider applying for a job in the mining industry.

If you are just starting out or considering going back to school, think about getting a degree in geology.  The mining industry’s greatest need right now is for geologists, engineers and environmental scientists.  As the planet’s energy needs become more accute, skilled workers with degrees in these fields are guaranteed job security for quite some time.

*Photo courtesy National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health

Concerned that your career in the financial sector may be going up in smoke?  Don’t worry too much.  (But have your resume ready.)

According to Forbes, even massive layoffs such as those expected in the coming weeks happen on a relatively cyclical basis, with finance jobs eventually recovering.

Where does an aspiring or experienced finance worker go?  Forbes suggests that Barclay’s will be looking to hire upwards of 8,000 top revenue generators from ailing firms, and with huge changes expected in banking regulations government agencies should be desperate for good people. What government jobs lack in high salaries and prestige, they make up for in stability.

As for support staff in other than financial positions, Forbes suggests they look to other industries.  We echo that advice.  Health care in particular is expected to remain a strong employment sector, with technology also looking relatively healthy.

Workers in the scientific research and development services industry include scientists and engineers, of course. But the industry also includes managers, accountants, people who interview test subjects, and many other workers in a range of occupations.

This article describes the scientific research and development services industry: its organization, occupations, benefits and drawbacks for workers, job outlook, training requirements, and advancement opportunities. [ Occupational Outlook Quarterly ]

Science Reserach Careers

To address this question, we’ve taken a quick snapshot of technology jobs in the 10 top tech job markets* (*according to Wired Magazine) and broken them down by subcategory. To do this, we used Craigslist jobs postings for June 3rd, 2008. With a few minor adjustments, such as removing repetitive or miscategorized listings, this is how it broke down:

As you can see, software, quality assurance, and database administrator jobs far outperformed all other categories. While this is still a fairly broad swathe of the job market, it does indicate that programmers have an advantage over network administrators, web designers, and other information technology workers.

Looking for some real life contact in your “social networking” strategy? Girl Geek Dinners started in London, as a way for women in information technology and other technical fields to get together and network, share resources, and just have a good time. As one of the founders explains in this podcast, Girl Geek Dinners are usually about 90% female, the inverse of the typical IT demographic.

Since the original London meet up, the group has now spawned at least 19 local groups in 11 different countries on 4 continents. Most of the events are free, and many are sponsored by major technology companies. Check out a partial schedule of events taking place in the next few weeks:

Seattle – June 24th

Toronto – June 25th

San Francisco – June 26th

Brighton – June 23rd, lunch

London – June 25th

Amsterdam – June 30th

*photo from flickr™, under a Creative Commons License.

Many parents choose to stay home, finding that their salaries aren’t sufficient to cover childcare and leave anything left over.  Others have to work, and choose unconventional hours, unlicensed child care providers, or dangerous options born of desperation such as leaving children unsupervised.   In many areas waiting lists for subsidized child care number in the 10s of thousands.

Childcare may not be the best business to become involved in this year, but don’t count it out completely as a career option.  As government begins to respond to the nationwide financial crisis, day care assistance programs may grow.  The number of parents and children in need of quality childcare has not declined at the same rate as the ability of working families to foot the bill.