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November 2, 2008
NEW YORK - The unemployment rate in Detroit was 9.6 percent in September, according to the Labor Department. But more than 1,100 advertisements seeking registered nurses in the Detroit area can be found online.
Around Riverside, Calif., where unemployment reached 9.1 percent last month, there are hundreds of jobs being advertised for network systems analysts.
With the nation slipping into recession and unemployment creeping higher — it stood at 6 percent in September, up from 4.5 percent a year ago — workers in some industries will feel the pain more than others. Layoffs in the manufacturing and financial services industries have been making headlines, for instance, but the continued need for a variety of health care workers has largely gone under the radar.
Laurence Shatkin admits he's no fortune teller. But he's crunched government data to come up with a list of occupations that should be able to withstand economic downturn. Among the top 10 in his book, "150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs," are network systems analysts, registered nurses and physical therapists.
"There's no crystal ball that I have, or guarantee that these are bulletproof jobs," said Shatkin, who works as a career information consultant. Job security often depends on things like individual workers making themselves valued employees, he said, but statistics show that fields like these are among the least sensitive to downturns, offer the highest pay and are least susceptible to being moved offshore.
His list, developed from the jobs that scored highest in those three areas, fall generally in the high tech, health care and college education fields. They reflect life in the U.S. in many ways, he said, from the growing use of gadgets like smart phones to the aging of the population.
The need for nurses, for instance, has been rising for years. Other health care jobs like physical therapists, physician assistants and pharmacists also make the list. These professions are needed to support the modern health care system, and to meet the needs of baby boomers as they age.
Recession-proof jobs
According to Laurence Shatkin:
Computer systems analyst
Network and computer systems administrators
Registered nurses
Teachers, postsecondary
Physical therapists
Physicians and surgeons
Dental hygienists
Pharmacists
Medical and health services managers
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