What are the best/worst jobs in bad economic times?

[CoffeeCat]

As we watch the economy tank, and as it continues to spiral downward--what kind
of jobs/careers will be the most secure and what jobs/careers would be most vulnerable
to lay offs?

When I worked in PR/media relations---our departments were always the first on the
chopping blocks, during economic downturns. It's easier to cut out a few marketing
people, than it is to do without accountants and attorneys.

My husband works for a small, high-tech start up--which is enough to give me panic attacks, due
to the faltering economy. However, the company provides broadband Internet service to businesses,
and my husband seems to think that this leaves us somewhat insulated (although not safe)--because
the Internet is essential for businesses. I'm not so sure, but I try to remain positive.

I had a conversation with my neighbor--who is concerned about her business (in-home daycare for
kids) because half of her parent clients--are at risk of losing their jobs because they work
in magazine publishing. My neighbor's husband sells office equipment and copiers--and she's concerned
about the slowdowns that he is seeing. It feels like our nation hasn't realized the full brunt
of what's happening to our economy--and it also feels like almost no one is immune.

Does anyone here find themselves reevaluating their current career, due to the economy and
the additional economic pain that is probably coming our way?

Which fields do you see as promising/vulnerable in the future--if things become drastically worse?

Do you feel a high level of job security or that you are somewhat secure in your job--or do you feel very vulnerable?

[anigbrowl]

1. Repo man. Can't go wrong.

[Idealism]

2. Retailers will be hit hardest by the recent lack of consumer confidence

Shortly after the holidays I believe many will go under, because the confidence issue won't be getting any boosts in the foreseeable future

[CoffeeCat]

5. I agree...

I think many retailers are hanging on by a thread, praying for a Christmas miracle.

When it doesn't happen--and when consumers tighten their belts even more, in Jan/Feb/Mar--
I think we'll see an avalanche of retail failures.

[flvegan]

3. Promising? Foreclosure paralegal.

[Berry Cool]

32. Not really.

Paralegal work can be outsourced to India. They'll do it for $10K a year.

[flvegan]

35. Not here in Florida.

Judges do NOT like trying to reset Hearings and getting Bangalore.

[tekisui]

4. Car mechanics.

People wont' be buying new cars, they will try to keep the old ones going.

[CoffeeCat]

6. Yes, but I bet we'll begin to see more people...

driving around with their mufflers duct taped--and other repairs
unfixed.

I'm sure people put off repairs when money is tight, too.

[JanMichael]

8. nope. our mechanic just laid off his "help."

it's down to just him.

[mnhtnbb]

55. I heard yesterday of a Honda mechanic who was laid off--15 years at the dealer.

[proud patriot]

63. at the dealership my husband works at they laid off a Great Mechanic

He has a family also .

[donco6]

7. Broadband is seen as essential these days.

I'd cut a lot more before I cut that.

I would stretch my copier leases and tech hardware leases longer. No new office furniture. No upgrades to major software. No business travel.

I have to have: Electricity, Gas, Gasoline, Vehicle Repair (but not new vehicles), Tires, Office supplies (though whittled to no frills), Phones (though I may drop land lines altogether), Database management, Postage, Business services like accounting, payroll, purchasing. More internet meetings. More contracted services rather than payroll. Short term software contracts - in fact, EVERYTHING shorter term. PROTECT CASH CASH CASH.

That's where I see things heading.

[HooptieWagon]

9. Article I read the other day

included:

Accountant/auditor

Teacher

Healthcare

Government jobs

Sin and Entertainment

Repair - home, auto, appliance, etc.

[Forkboy]

10. Porn star.

Porn will always be profitable. Get in on it while you can, so to speak. :)

[dysfunctional press]

34. guess again...the world is changing. even the porn world.

http://www.portfolio.com/culture-lifestyle/culture-inc/arts/2007/10/15/YouPorn-Vivid-Entertainment-Profile?tid=advert/drudge/YouPorn#page1

But lately, success hasn’t come easily for Vivid and its upmarket rivals. Three years ago, 80 percent of Vivid’s income came from DVD sales. Today, Hirsch puts that number at about 30 percent, with the rest coming from a fragmented range of sources: subscriptions to Vivid.com, pay-per-view TV, internet video-on-demand, merchandising, and mobile-phone deals. Domestic DVD sales are down 35 percent this year alone. His revenue is flat, he says, but that’s mainly because he’s been cutting costs. Within five years, he claims, DVD sales will be close to zero.

Vivid’s situation is grim but not unusual. DVD woes plague the entire Valley, from multimillion-dollar corporate operations to backroom bottom-feeders: Total sales fell 11 percent in 2006, to an estimated $3.8 billion, according to Adult Video News, the industry’s leading trade publication. Hirsch’s company shares the high end of the market with about 20 other studios that each claim more than $20 million in annual revenues. Outside of those are at least 100 small producers who bring in $500,000 to $5 million a year, estimates Paul Fishbein, president of Adult Video News. These companies shoot on shoestring budgets of $10,000 or less (sometimes much less) per film. “Those rinky-dink companies are struggling to get 1,000 to 1,200 DVDs out at $8 to $10 wholesale,” says Fishbein. “That barely pays for the cost of a cheap production.”

And the decline of DVDs will only accelerate. “You’re going to see a precipitous drop now,” Fishbein says. “Hopefully for producers here in the Valley, that will be offset by internet sales. Hopefully.”
As the portion of Americans with broadband connections (47 percent and growing) continues to rise, consumers are becoming increasingly addicted to the immediate gratification of Web video. But suddenly, there’s a chasm between porn consumption and porn sales. While sales of internet-based adult entertainment grew 14 percent last year, to $2.8 billion, that figure would be substantially higher if there wasn’t so much free competition, especially from the user-generated adult sites...

...But for many companies, the sum of these new revenue streams doesn’t even come close to offsetting the decline in DVD sales. What’s happening in porn right now is directly analogous to what’s happening to the music industry—CD sales are down 16 percent since 2005, according to Nielsen SoundScan—but worse.

“What you’re losing in the DVD market, you’re not making up on the paid internet side,” says Fishbein. “Instead of 99 cents a song on iTunes, these guys are doing 10 cents a minute for porn.”

The irony is that Hirsch and his ilk have always been the first to experiment with—and profit from—new technologies. The revolution began with VHS, which moved porn out of the theater and into the home. This made watching pornography private, an advance that created millions of new customers overnight. But to buy the stuff, you still had to venture out to the store, and who knew who you might run into?

The Web, in its early days, solved this problem. Few industries, if any, figured out e-commerce faster than the adult-entertainment business, and online DVD sales soared as a result. But Web 2.0, the catchall term for the crush of user-driven startups that have emerged in the past few years, has left the porn industry’s biggest players scrambling to keep up. For the first time, technology is hurting Big Porn. “Everyone was excited because they thought the internet was going to affect our business in a positive way, and it’s been the opposite,” says David Joseph, the founder of Red Light District. “It’s been a little scary.”

[Forkboy]

37. Well, there goes my weekend.

:evilgrin:

I think the industry is hurting in DVD sales because of the availability of online porn, especially now that internet speeds are fast enough to transmit full length streaming movies. Why pay when you can log on and watch a ton of movies for free? While the major companies like Vivid may be hurting, overall I suspect porn is still rolling in dough, just getting it through different means than DVD sales now (advertising, membership fees, etc), and the wealth is being spread out among more lower profile companies.

It's similar to the music industry. The majors are hurting big time, but overall there's more music available than ever, and just as much money to be made. It's just goes through different avenues now than direct sales through retail outlets and major labels.

At least I hope this is all true...I need the cash! :)

[dysfunctional press]

39. there's getting to be less and less dough, for more and more players

and as the economy slides, there's bound to be more and more "willing" participants.

[arcadian]

54. backroom bottom-feeders?

How dare they sully porn's good name. Just how low are you in the porn industry to qualify as a "backroom bottom feeder"?

Oh, beg my pardon, Backroom Bottom Feeders is a new title just released to DVD.

[Johonny]

51. I think that's true

In bad economic times the "sin" industry generally does ok. Porn, alcohol stores and the such are generally ok.

[Blue_In_AK]

11. My youngest daughter is really busy at her job...

She's a "special accounts" person at our credit union -- in other words, she works helping members who are behind on their loans get caught up.

[graywarrior]

12. Public transportation

We just found out that they are establishing a bus service up here in North Conway. I worked for the guy who is involved in the funding and he called us yesterday to ask if we were interested in being part of it. Hell yeah!

[grasswire]

20. I never could understand why New England communities...

...don't have public transportation in and about their townships. How do little old ladies get their groceries, anyway?

[graywarrior]

23. Cabs

NE is getting the picture now that public trans in vital. Did you know one of the reasons NH doesn't require car insurance is because they don't want to burden people who need to drive to work due to no public transportation?

[grasswire]

30. my family member in Wolfeboro ...

....needed to get to Sanford while his car was in the shop. What a mess!

[htuttle]

60. Speaking of the cab business -- it will probably survive a downturn

There have been cabs of some sort or another since before there were cars. There are cabs in war zones, during depressions, and during natural disasters. The business will be here after we are all gone, too, even if the 'vehicle' ends up being closer to a rickshaw or bicycle-drawn tuk-tuk.

That doesn't mean that any particular cab driver will survive. No doubt business will decline and realign over the years. But people have needed to get from point A to point B for a few thousand years now...



One other thing about the cab business. You can't outsource it very well (except for switchboards, etc...).

[riverdale]

13. Teacher

Downside is, you can't support a family on that salary.

[napi21]

14. Best jobs are the most stable, so anything involving health or death

should be just fine.

[likesmountains 52]

15. I'm in health care...and have been sent home early quite a bit in the past 2 months..

[napi21]

17. I guess HC was too broad of a catagory. All I meant was that

health problems don't just go away when the economy tanks so most jobs in that business should be pretty secure.

[uppityperson]

59. my clinic has experienced a downturn recently. People are waiting longer to go in, being sicker when

they do. They can't afford big deductibles or copays with insurance and those without can't afford much. They are concerned not only about drop in business (the business part is) but the docs/nurses/staff are concerned because people are waiting longer and getting sicker before being seen.

[likesmountains 52]

64. exactly..people who had insurance with their jobs have either lost their jobs or have a higher

co-pay and deductible. People are putting off elective procedures..

[uppityperson]

65. I give it another yr and it will be bad. People will be really sick, triaging rather than preventing

problems. Remember to wash your hands often and don't touch your eyes or nose.

[raccoon]

49. Would you mind telling us a little more about your job? nt

[likesmountains 52]

58. Sure, I am an RN on an OB/Nursery unit...

[rainbow4321]

68. I feel for you....

I was an agency NICU/Newborn nursery nurse for a long time but had to start taking care of adults out on the tele and med surg floors because if I only did the baby units there were certain times of the year where there was no work to be had. it sucked to sign up for a 7 pm - 7 am shift
only to be sent home at 11 pm. Or to sleep all day and get that phone call at 5 pm telling you "we MIGHT need you at 11 pm" and then getting cancelled for even that. I eventually went contract and got guaranteed hours..that lasted for 4 years, it was a good deal for me and the hospital. I got a full paycheck and they, in turn, got a nurse who was cross trained in adults/babies/pedi and they could send me anywhere in the hospital.
The "baby" nurses thought I was crazy for cross training to adults but I got lots of work/hours while they were getting cancelled left and right. Then the hospital got alot more competition in town and even the adult floor work dried up eventually. Even the staff nurses were getting cancelled at least once a week and the hospital didn't give a rat's ass that people STILL had bills to pay even if their paychecks were shorted every payday.
Eventually, all contracts were cancelled hospitalwide and
they even ended up laying off a bunch of staff nurses due to low census.
I'm now a staff nurse in an outpatient clinic. Better hours/benefits, full paycheck every 2 weeks, hell will freeze over before I ever get "cancelled".

[likesmountains 52]

71. We just canceled 2 agency nurses who were only 2 weeks into their contracts...I fear that the

hospital employed nurses are next.

[MannyGoldstein]

16. Medical-Related

People will always get sick, unfortunately. And the population of older folks is increasing rapidly, so there will be lots of work to do.

[Hamlette]

18. unemployment office

we are hiring like crazy

also, sellers of chocolate (apparently people buy more chocolate in a downturn) and hairdressers (even if you can't buy a new car, you get your hair cut)

[Lisa0825]

24. Depends on the state....

in Texas, the state employment offices were "privatized" and we just took a $17 million budget cut in my region alone. Several offices were closed or consolidated.

[Hannah Bell]

29. "seller of chocolate" = walmart

[Canuckistanian]

19. Rag and bone man

I don't exactly know what they do, but my mom says they were always around during the depression.

I hope it wasn't a "soylent green" kinda thing.

[grasswire]

21. interestingly enough...

....in Edo Japan, which was cut off from the world for a long period of time, one of the "jobs" that emerged was as collector of "night soil" -- the contents of the chamber pots. Fertilizer.

[grasswire]

22. health care related or government

That's what the big boys on CNBC had to say. Of course, there are many peripheral aspects to health care and government. From business writer to cook to personnel to training to massage therapist to accounting to yada yada yada....

[Lisa0825]

26. Yes to health care,

Unfortunately, the major hospital in my county was decimated by hurricane Ike, so I am still losing my job. However, the Texas Medical Center is rapidly expanding, and I hope to find a new position soon. It is one of the few sectors of the economy still expanding, a major reason being the aging baby boomers needing more health care services. Don't pick on me for saying "aging baby boomers." I am an "old" GenXer. I'm next! LOL

[gristy]

25. health care

It's hard work, but it pays ok and you will always have a job if you want one.

[Stinky The Clown]

27. Health care and undertakers

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

28. Firefighter and Paramedic have proven to be pretty stable.

[sakabatou]

31. CPA

[Iwillnevergiveup]

33. Trader Joes cashier/stocker

The 2 or 3 I get into are always slammed.

[nutshell2002]

36. Registered Nurses

will always be in demand.

[Adsos Letter]

38. Yes...

and with an overtime shift now and then the pay can be quite good, at least in our experience.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

41. Yes, and they are in demand all over the world

A good RN can find a job in any English-speaking country.

[likesmountains 52]

62. I'm an RN...and they are really cutting back on the overtime...in fact I have been "overstaffed"

(told to stay home for a scheduled shift) quite a bit recently. I guess my job is secure for now...but working my budgeted hours is not.

[rainbow4321]

66. You would think so...depends on patient census/# of hospitals in the area

I live in a TX county that is saturated with hospitals---our economy went under because the county had all it's eggs in the telecommunication/dot com bubble that burst when chimp took office. So the county announced that they would be turning to the health care industry. Sounds good, you think it would be a really good thing for nurses around here.
One problem: because there are now soooo many hospitals and our county population pretty much levelled out over the last few years, there are not enough patients to keep any one hospital full--not even HALF full at times depending on the season.
The hospital I worked at for 8 years as a contract nurse not only cancelled all contract nurses but also LAYED OFF a bunch of staff nurses, had to close a brand new post-partum floor, their cash cow neonatal ICU (40 bed unit) was lucky to have maybe 12 babies at a time---the "baby" nurses were forced to either stay home or go work on the adult floors as sitters. All because their doctors and patients were siphoned away by brand new hospitals in the area. They lost most all of their cardiac patients/doctors to the brand new cardiac hospital down the street.

It turned out to be a blessing for me, I found a full time staff job that I really enjoy, great benefits, better hours. Had the census not dropped and my contract not been cancelled, I probably would not have looked elsewhere on my own at the time. Unfortunately, this was not the case for alot of the staff nurses who were blindsided by the layoffs.

[likesmountains 52]

70. This, I fear is my future after 30 years of being a newborn/NICU nurse...

[lumberjack_jeff]

40. Undertaker. n/t

[MsLeopard]

42. Energy Management (Conservation)

I've worked in the energy management industry for more years than I like to count (around 20) and through the whole time when the economy is bad our business is great because large energy users want to save money. We do efficiency projects for commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities and business is great these days.

[scheming daemons]

43. Government.... especially related to D.o.D. Recession-proof.

[Neshanic]

44. Worst. Architects, Civil engineers, Landscape architects, Land planners.

Projects that are worked on are in the planning stages for months, and involve all four.

First the the proposed projects just stop. Then new ones do not come in. These would be things that would be breaking ground in nine months at best, or for larger project a year. That is why back in 2005 I knew something was going sideways. Work started slowing. These professions the end comes quick and fast. But on the upside, we see the recovery months before anyone else does.

[OxQQme]

45. Best = Bartender! n/t

[Fumesucker]

47. Bartenders work for tips...

I know people in the bar business and a lot of their customers are now drinking at home because it is vastly less expensive.

The customers they do have are tipping less than they were.

[taught_me_patience]

46. Doctor

Pretty recession proof. Others good ones include:

Brewmaster
Porn star
Auto Mechanic
Professor

The bad:
Retail
Assembly line worker
Transportation
boat builder
waiter

[ThomWV]

48. The worst are always the most secure - farm worker, hand picker.

As long as there is trade in this world there will be jobs for pickers.

[Runcible Spoon]

50. my fiance works in console and internet gaming industry

they pretty much feel recession proof since gaming is the only affordable form of entertainment in bad economic times, plus there is always a lot of demand for products internationally, too. World of Warcraft has replaced vacations in a lot of households. Kinda sad.

[leftofthedial]

52. right now, I'd say the worst (least secure) jobs are in manufacturing.

also, small and medium companies will eliminate all marketing and communications positions.

car thieves and retired corporate CEOs should do very well.

[XemaSab]

53. Trash collector

n/t

[Terran]

56. I work part-time as a grocery checker

I worked part-time at a hotel for nine years but now I'm kind of glad I'm not there now, because I figure grocery store jobs are fairly secure...people have to buy food, whether they're using food stamps or WIC or their own money to pay for it.

[bemildred]

57. US Senator is pretty good ... nt

[SammyWinstonJack]

67. Thanks to US taxpayers, but as that base shrinks........

:evilgrin:

[annarbor]

61. Best to Worst

Best: Cops, Firefighters, Paramedics

Worst: Realtors, Car Salesmen, Auto Workers

Just the opinion of someone from Michigan

Ann Arbor

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

69. Corrupt politician...but, I repeat myself.

And, apologize to Mark Twain.