Top recession-proof jobs

The national unemployment rate is eight per cent, and is expected to climb higher. Yet some industries remain recession-proof, giving companies the opportunity to thrive during the economic downturn.

Elizabeth Lengyel, a career advisor and counsellor for PeopleCoach, says there are opportunities and areas of growth for people. “There are those who are better positioned to survive what is one of the worst financial crises in 90 years,” she says.

Shelly D’Mello, consultant at The Intaligence Group and co-organizer of The Pink Slip Party – an event that brings together those who have been laid off with other business professionals to mingle and network – says to come up with recession-proof jobs you must think of the necessities. People need to eat, and they need healthcare and education.

Steven Toole is vice-president of marketing for Jobfox. The career website recently conducted a survey ranking the most recession-proof jobs by examining its database of 4,000 job postings. Toole agrees that certain jobs are necessary.

Below are the experts’ estimations of the safest jobs during this recession:

Health Care: Toole says those who work in healthcare, from doctors to nurses and social services, are relatively safe in a recession. “Unemployment in the healthcare industry was just 1.8 per cent in January – less than one quarter of the current national average unemployment rate of 8.1 per cent,” he says.

Interestingly, dermatologists do well when times are tough because many people interested in improving their appearance choose Botox or collagen injections over plastic surgery, which is more costly.

Education: D’Mello suggests this is the time to re-educate and retool. There are many government programs in place to help people return to college or university.

Lengyel also considers jobs in the education field to be recession-proof because many people are looking for a way to occupy themselves. “Many people go back to school during recessionary times as people are looking to retrain. Competition is increased as people flood the universities,” she says.

Contract Work: Some companies may not want to bring in a full time employees because of the cost, therefore a contract worker is ideal because they come on only for the duration of a project, says D’Mello. “This is a fabulous resource to use for employees because it opens up the doors to exposure,” says D’Mello.

Anne Charette Tyler, President of The Burke Group, a full-service human resources firm, says their consulting department is doing very well. “Companies can’t let problems go so they are spending money on auditing and reorganizing departments to increase efficiency,” she says. “Often times they need the services of an outside consultant who has a more objective way of reviewing situations.”

Sales Representative/Business Development. Nearly every business needs some level of sales or business development to keep the deals coming, says Toole. A good sales force will effectively promote the company and be able to pull it out of obscurity.

Customer Service. Toole warns that now is not a time to relax with customer service; customers are even more demanding when the purse strings are tighter.

Accounting: As D’Mello puts it, companies still need someone to do their books, especially during tax season.

Counselling/Social Work: Lengyel says she’s seen a rise in career counselling as professionals need direction when their options are limited. Lengyel says she’s seen an increase in agencies that offer counselling, because people want that specialized help and support.

Software Design/Development: David Ticoll, executive director of Canadian Coalition for Tomorrow’s ICT Skills says IT plays a role in the activities that will help to take us out of the recession. “In terms of the next economy, if you look at the major infrastructure and policy announcements coming out of Ottawa and Washington, and you start going through a list of investments that they’re making, it’s in IT, green infrastructure, and electronic health care,” says Ticoll. “Improving productivity of the government is a huge initiative in the U.S. right now, and all these are IT intensive.”

Even in a recession, companies need to transform themselves through IT, and will be using IT design to reduce their costs in other areas.

Electricians/Mechanics: There is always a need for a specialized skills, says Lengyel. “For example, a lot of electricians have been retiring and governments have not been able to get enough electricians,” she says. “They’re working overtime.” She says not many have a specialized skill, but those who do have an advantage. Mechanics also do well during this time because many people choose to get their cars repaired rather than spend money on a new one.

Government Jobs: As Lengyel puts it, “The government has always got jobs and projects that are on the go.” She recommends making connections with people who are working for the government, as there are a lot of opportunities available.

Green Collar Jobs: “In an unpredictable job market, more workers are turning to green-collar jobs hoping that our interest in protecting the environment will create some job security,” says Lengyel. “There are new training programs springing up to meet the demand.”

Last but not least…

When times are tough some people like to take the edge off with a drink. That makes the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) a good place to work.

Chris Layton, media relations coordinator for the LCBO, says the board has seen a slight increase in sales from last year to this year. Sales were 3.2 per cent higher this past February than in the February before.

Though customers are buying more liquor, they are buying cheaper liquor. Premium wines used to sell out, but the lower priced wines are now a hot item. “Some consumers are looking to buying at a lower price point in order to stretch their dollars,” says Layton.