Where the jobs are: a look behind the numbers

We hear a lot of statistics about job losses as a result of the economy, but behind the scenes there are some sectors of the economy that seem to be recession proof.

Q: There are job sectors that are going through growth in this economy?

A: These statistics have just been released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and they reflect the last quarter of 2008 when the economy was very slow. Most people don't realize that though 7.8 million jobs were lost during that period but another 6.8 million were created.

While it's true that is a net loss of a million jobs, it's important to point out some job sectors are growing. The largest increases were in Education and Health Services which created 93,000 jobs. This area of the economy has been creating jobs consistently since 1992 and experienced no losses. The other areas are natural resources and mining, and utilities.

Q: So what other careers should people consider in this economy?

A: Anyone with a Government Security Clearance is in demand. Companies are cutting jobs or slashing pay to cope with the sagging economy, but considering the number of current job openings and the local cost of living, there isn't a bad market anywhere in the country for security clearance jobs. ClearanceJobs.com, an online career management resource company, reports workers holding security clearances are enjoying an average pay increase of nearly 2 percent. And employees in D.C. and Virginia report in a new survey that they received a 3 percent increase and the highest annual compensation in the "cleared worker" category, with average salaries of $82,874 and $80,135, respectively.

For more information, see the Washington Business Journal's report, Security clearances key to recession period pay raises and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (pdf) news release, Business Employment Dynamics: Third Quarter 2008

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