While
it might not quite be time to pop the bubbly, there's reason to believe that
hiring in several key industries will be on the upswing in the first few months
of the new year.
The
latest Manpower Employment
Outlook Survey indicates growing optimism among U.S. employers. Of more
than 18,000 surveyed, 17 percent anticipated raising staff levels in their
first-quarter hiring — the best outlook in six years.
This
adds to other upbeat numbers. Last month, the U.S. economy added more than 200,000
jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. The unemployment rate dropped
to its lowest level since 2008, to 7 percent.
Overall,
things were brighter for workers of all ages in November than in quite some
time, says Sara Rix, senior strategic policy adviser at the AARP Public Policy
Institute.
Looking
at older workers, the November unemployment rate for those age 55 and older
fell to 4.9 percent, down sharply from October's 5.4 percent. The rate fell
both for older women and older men.
"Fewer
workers were unemployed, employed part time for economic reasons or discouraged
about their job prospects," Rix says.
While
these numbers may be encouraging, workers who remain without jobs continued to
struggle, as the average duration of unemployment rose once again. The November
survey found that jobless people age 55 and over had been that way for an
average of 50.7 weeks, up slightly from 49.7 weeks in October.
That
said, don't give up. If you're job hunting, some industries are reporting
rising numbers of vacancies. Below are five sectors where you can expect to
find openings in the next few months.
Pay
will vary depending on the employer, your experience and where you live. The
jobs may have flexible hours and be full or part time. Some may require you to
go back to school for specific training.
But in others, you may be able to repurpose skills you already have.
If
you're ready to jump-start your search, be sure to review my list of job
hunting mistakes to avoid and ways to improve your LinkedIn profile.
1. Health Care
The aging population and longer life
expectancies are spurring a wide range of health care-related jobs. In fact,
for the period 2012 to 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects
that industries related to health care will generate the most new jobs, 5
million. New ones are cropping up all the time for people in their 50s, 60s and
70s that cater to people in their 80s and 90s. Continue
reading…
2. Financial
As
boomers slide into their retirement years, they are increasingly seeking help
with managing their money, whether it's bill paying or estate planning or
choosing the right insurance policy. There is growing awareness that people
need to have financial plans in place to help avoid outliving their
savings. Continue
reading…
3. Leisure and hospitality
Given
the snowballing number of retiring workers, there has been an upsurge in demand
for travel and leisure activities. So it's not surprising that the Manpower
survey found that 23 percent of employers in this field were planning to take
on more workers in the first quarter of 2014. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
sees long-term growth too: about 1.3 million new jobs between 2012 and 2022. Continue
reading…
4. Retail
It's
not exactly shop 'til you drop, but most experts predict that the rising
population will translate to a greater demand for workers in the retail trade.
Manpower, for instance, says that 19 percent of retail employers plan to add
jobs in the first quarter of the new year. Continue
reading…
5. Professional and
business services
Jobs
in this sector are forecast to grow by nearly 20 percent — roughly 3.5 million
new jobs between 2012 and 2022. In some subcategories, the growth will likely
be even bigger: Employment in computer and mathematical occupations, for
example, is expected to rise 18 percent, spurred by growing calls for network
and mobile technologies. Continue
reading…
