The Best Jobs for 2010 Bring Hope to the Job Market

The year 2010 is poised to be a better year for jobs compared with 2009, although 2010 predictions say it will take a while to reach the pre-recession economy we have been used to. In 2009 the US and global economy took a tumble, and companies followed by cutting costs, postponing projects, and trying to stay ahead of the curve. According to the US Bureau of Labor, 27 million Americans are either unemployed or underemployed, but of that number only 15.4 million are used for their calculations.

More companies in the US plan to hire in 2010 than lay off employees. In a study done by online job site CareerBuilder.com, 20% of employers plan to increase their number of full time employees, which is over the 14% from last year. Sixty one percent don’t think they will change their staffing, and the rest are unsure. The Technology field led the list of companies planning to hire followed by customer service and sales people.

Thirty seven percent of those asked said they were going to replace low performing workers with new hires. Thirty two percent said they would be hiring back some of their laid off workers through the year 2010, and 15% said they had already started to hire back some of their workers in 2009. In order to adjust to the economy, 37% of companies said they would be cutting back on perks. Bonus cuts led the way, followed by adjusted medical coverage and suspending or lowering matching 401K benefits.

There are many sectors of the economy that aren’t hit as hard as others during a recession. Take Health Care as an example. Even though some sectors of the Health Care industry were hit by the recession, people get sick and health care is a necessity in many areas of the world. Education positions, government jobs, pharmaceuticals and skilled services such as hairdressing and heating and cooling specialists are needed. Consumers may not go to the malls as much in a recession, but they still need energy, need to eat, and will pay taxes.

If you have a college degree or are working towards one, what sectors of the economy are hiring this year? According to Grandresume.com, the top 10 careers for 2010 consist of Psychologists, Appraisers, Information Technology, Physicians Assistants, HR Personnel, Financial Advisors, Educators, Engineers and Freelance Writers. Many of these areas of the economy were not hit hard if at all during 2009. A college degree is required for many of these jobs, but if you are in a career path that is headed in one of these directions, you may be fortunate enough to find work.

If you find yourself in the unskilled labor pool, there are jobs available for 2010 although not many aren’t glorifying. These include Roustabout, Lumberjack, Ironworker, Dairy Farmer, Welder, Garbage Collector, Taxi Driver, Construction Worker, Meter Reader, and Mail Carrier. Some of these may not be dream jobs, but if you are out of work and willing to take on a job you are not familiar with, one of these may be for you. In the United States, one area that has opened quickly this year are 2010 Census jobs, although that will be short lived.

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