These Are the Most Secure Jobs in America
After two tumultuous years, workers crave job security and are in a position to get it. We’re in a moment of strong wage growth and “a severe worker shortage” as unemployment has fallen to just 3.6%. According to a recent Gallup poll, 71% of Americans say it's a good time to find a quality job, and only 15% think it's likely they will lose their job in the coming year. But feelings of security can change as the economy changes, so there's always good reason to pursue a job that is likely to stick around. We examined the percent increase or decrease in unemployment in the year leading up to March within professional categories tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The professions ranking high on our list experienced the greatest drop in unemployment and were deemed secure. Which ones came out on top? The results may surprise you.
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Job Examples: Grounds maintenance workers; janitors and building cleaners; pest control workers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 26%
Although the changing corporate landscape may mean fewer jobs in this category, America’s aging population will keep laborers in this category employed with residential work.
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Job Examples: Construction inspectors; construction laborers; electricians; solar voltaic installers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 26%
Growth in the construction industry is driving demand for workers. Although builders are contending with raw materials shortages and supply chain disruptions, the calls for residential housing in particular are keeping this industry lively.
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Job Examples: Computer programmers; Web developers; data scientists
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 32%
Nearly every industry needs computer scientists of some stripe. This field is set to outpace growth in other fields by 2030, with a 22% increase expected. Cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data science are particularly needed.
Job Examples: Cashiers; travel agents; retail sales workers; real estate brokers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 32%
This diverse category has contradictory patterns at play: While continuing growth of ecommerce is expected to lower demand for retail workers, acurrent real estate boom is putting brokers to work.
Job Examples: Bakers; butchers; machinists; welders
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 34%
Although this category is showing a moderate recovery compared with other sectors, mechanization is expected to stall job growth. Experts are projecting that fewer workers will be needed in this category in the coming years.
Job Examples: Air traffic controllers; flight attendants; traffic-trailer truck drivers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 34%
As the travel industry recovers, it pulls this job category along with it.
Job Examples: Firefighters; police and detectives; correctional officers and bailiffs
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 35%
Although headlines say police officers are leaving the profession in droves, labor data disproves these claims. Some cities, such as Los Angeles, are planning to increase their total numbers for officers and firefighters.
Job Examples: Architects; civil engineers; computer hardware engineers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 36%
Engineering occupations drive growth in this category. It’s thought that rebuilding infrastructure, renewable energy, oil and gas extraction, and robotics are creating demand.
Job Examples: Bookkeepers; customer service representatives; receptionists
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 36%
Americans are back in the office — well, sort of. Even if office life as we knew it pre-pandemic is a thing of the past, there’s still demand for support staff (some of whom may still be able to work remotely).
Job Examples: Home health aides; orderlies; medical transcriptionists
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 41%
As the health care industry continues to see staffing shortages, supporting occupations see job growth.
Job Examples: Agents; human resources specialists; tax preparers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 42%
Entering the top 10 most secure job categories in the country, this diverse field is seeing a strong recovery. These workers don’t just have job security to count on; they see a mean annual wage that’s $30,000 higher than the national wage.
Job Examples: Teachers; librarians; museum assistants
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 43%
The pandemic has pushed teachers to leave the profession in great numbers and sooner than they expected. Hiring is quick and jobs are secure to keep pace with these resignations.
Job Examples: Court reporters; arbitrators; paralegals and legal assistants
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 43%
Demand for lawyers isn’t the only thing causing this professional category to recover and grow. Firms pursuing efficiency are hiring paralegals and legal assistants. The dropping unemployment numbers in this category reflect that trend.
Job Examples: Fine artists; interior designers; writers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 54%
As theaters, music venues, and movie theaters return to full operations, so too are the creative workerswho supports these physical spaces.
Job Examples: Bartenders; chefs and head cooks; servers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 55%
Food delivery services are waning as people return to in-person dining. Hiring in the food service industry shows it. The field is not only recovering, but growing. It’s not all about security, however, and workers in these fields fall into the lowest-paid group with their median annual wage of $28,400.
Job Examples: Automotive body and glass repairers; heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers; wind turbine technicians
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 59%
Putting off regularly scheduled maintenance across sectors is a relic of the pandemic past, and this job category shows it.
Job Examples: Hairstylists; child care workers; fitness trainers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 61%
If you missed getting your hair cut, having your nails done, and going to the gym during the pandemic, you’re not alone. Professional care occupations are running at full throttle to make up for lost time, and they’re becoming more popular. Employment in this classification is anticipated to grow 22% up to 2030; that’s a faster rate than other job types.
Job Examples: School principals; human resources managers; sales managers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 63%
Whether they are boomerang employees — those returning to jobs after resigning — or being rehired in positions eliminated during the pandemic, managers are streaming back into the workforce. A positive economic outlook is also leading organizations to launch and expand, another factor causing this professional category to grow.
Job Examples: Biochemists and biophysicists; economists; agricultural and food scientists
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 65%
Growth in biomedical research, psychology, and environmental protection fields drives job growth here, and there’s good news for job seekers in these fields: The annual median wage was above $72,000, about $27,000 higher than the national average.
Job Examples: Health education specialists and community health workers; marriage and family therapists; social workers
Percent Decrease in Unemployment: 78%
With counselors and social workers in high demand, it’s no surprise this category has seen a hefty drop in unemployment claims. The field is expected to continue to grow at 12% up to 2030 — a faster clip than other professions.
