Jobless claims fell to the lowest levels in over five years, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report issued at the end of April. The Labor Department reported that 165,000 jobs were added in April, a modest improvement from March’s 88,000 jobs. However a surprise revision of the previously released numbers showed stronger-than-expected job growth in prior months. Overall, the economy appears to be slowly improving.
According to the Labor Department, professional and business service jobs increased by 73,000 in April, and added 587,000 jobs to the economy overall in the past year. This is good news for those looking for jobs in certain sectors. Forbes, for example, listed the best careers for 2013, and among the top jobs are those of actuary, biomedical engineer and software engineer, all professional and business service jobs that are showing modest growth this year.
Such jobs require, at minimum, a four-year undergraduate degree and preferably a master’s degree or higher. The Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Societies lists majors in mathematics, statistics, finance and economics as desirable degrees, with additional graduate and graduate research work among the steps to becoming a professional actuary. Biomedical and software engineers can begin their careers with an undergraduate degree, but advanced degrees are beneficial for career advancement.
Another sector showing growth is health care, according to the BLS. The health care industry added an average of 24,000 jobs per month over the past year. Hospice nurses, visiting nurses and physical therapists typically obtain an undergraduate degree or higher, followed by state certification after passing a licensing exam.
The fastest-growing area of health care is ambulatory services, with 14,000 jobs added in that area alone. According to the BLS, Ambulatory services include any health care professional visiting patients at home, rather than seeing them at a medical facility or hospital.
Job growth sectors such business, medicine and professional services continue to grow at a time when industry and manufacturing opportunities are shrinking. Jobless claims are falling, but new jobs are being added in areas requiring an undergraduate degree or higher. With the job market strengthening, now may be the perfect time to return to school to obtain a new degree.
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