Despite high unemployment, the health care industry is booming. So are food service, hospitality and professional services.
Unemployment remains historically high, but some sectors are booming. Which are healthiest? Health care added more jobs than any other sector in 2011, with 350,300. Next were food service and accommodation (273,700) and professional and technical services (246,200). The federal government expects health care to have gained a total of 5.6 million jobs by 2020.
The average annual wage nationally was $45,230 in 2011. But if you were working in the fastest-growing categories, you may have earned more: $47,550 for health care on average, $59,280 for professional services.
Where you live may have helped or hurt your employment odds, too. In 2011 33 states had unemployment rates below the national average of 8.9 percent. North Dakota was lowest at 3.5 percent; Nevada was worst off at 13.5 percent.
Today’s video is worth sharing with the jobseekers you know. Check it out, then help build today’s discussion. Do you think the average American is equipped to move into the kinds of jobs you see available? If not, what do we do about it?