By many measures the job market is in its best shape since before the Great Recession. Now, where is hiring particularly strong? Here are five industries with the fastest job growth over the past 12 months:
Software and IT workers
Up 4 percent, or 79,300 jobs. As more business is conducted online, companies of all sizes need website designers, app developers and data analysts. The rising demand for such workers has fueled an explosion in high-paying software and IT jobs. But you don't need a degree from Stanford or MIT to be hired. Many companies are hiring graduates of six-month coding boot camps.
Temp jobs
Up 3.9 percent, or 112,400 jobs. Sharp increases in temp hiring can signal that companies are enjoying more customer demand and need more labor. If rising demand endures, they will eventually hire permanent workers. The bad news is that companies are increasingly turning to often-lower-paid temps to control their labor costs. Temp work has soared since the recession officially ended in June 2009.
Construction
Up 2.6 percent, or 173,000 jobs. With homebuilding on the upswing and many Americans renovating their houses, construction workers are in sharp demand. This group includes plumbers, electricians and painters as well as people who pour concrete and build wooden frames.
Health care
Up 2.2 percent, or 337,000 jobs. Many of the jobs in this industry — doctors, nurses and dentists — pay well. But not all do. One of the fastest areas of hiring has been for home health aides, who typically earn only around $11 an hour. Still, some health care workers can earn solid pay without advanced degrees: X-ray technicians, for example, can make $60,000 a year with a two-year degree.
Education:
Up 2.2 percent, or 76,900 jobs. Another reliable job creator, the education industry includes everything from teachers, school administrators and principals to bus drivers and cafeteria workers. And it covers private schools and colleges, as well as tutoring services.
Associated Press
