Bright Spots for Workers in a Shaky Economy

The Baltimore Sun
By Hanah Cho

Whether the economy is in a recession right now or not, workers are starting to feel wary about job security and professional prospects.

But there is a sliver of good news.

Several industries are resistant to the woes of a slowing economy, according to John A. Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a Chicago outplacement firm.

The credit crunch and a slumping housing market have brought depressing job news from manufacturing, retail, construction and the real estate sectors.

However, Challenger says the job market in the areas of security, energy, environment, healthcare and education are strong because of "major long-term forces going in our economy, whether it's demographics or globalization."

Let's take a look at the strengths of these sectors:

• Security:

• In the post 9/11 world, there's growing demand for protecting the country's ports, borders and other infrastructure, Challenger says.
• For instance, the Department of Homeland Security is expected to hire more than 15,000 customs and border protection officers and border patrol agents as well as another 22,000 airport screeners in the next three years, according to a 2007 report by the Partnership for Public Service.
• Challenger says information technology expertise in the areas of anti-hacking and computer security is also hot.

• Energy:

• Population growth in China, India and elsewhere is fueling increasing demand for alternative sources of energy, Challenger says.
• With interest in wind, solar and ethanol as well as nuclear power, Challenger says job demands can grow in this area.

• Environment sector:

• With corporate America going green and concerns about global warming, Challenger says so-called "green-collar" jobs will be created.
• They include environmental engineers, corporate sustainability managers and solar panel technicians.

• Healthcare:

• As baby boomers age, the demand for health-related occupations are increasing as well. Personal and home care aides as well as medical assistants, physical therapist assistants and pharmacy technicians are expected to be among the fastest-growing jobs in the next 10 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• Education:

• Challenger says a wave of retirements of kindergarten-through-12th grade teachers and increasing student enrollment are creating vacancies.
• And as more people consider education as lifelong learning that extends beyond high school or college diplomas, Challenger says workers will request training and development on the corporate level.