The best jobs for 2008

There's a lot of anxiety these days about job security. Maybe it's the oncoming recession. Maybe it's the presidential campaigns, which keep telling us we're anxious about job security. Maybe it's the job evaluation I'm having later today (for a workplace that shunned evaluations for years, suddenly we're up to one a quarter). Whatever it is, more of us are feeling uneasy these days. The AP says:

"The economy is currently in recession or arguably close to recession and that's certainly weighing on the collective psyche," says Mark Zandi, chief economist of forecaster Moody's Economy.com. "But ... I do think there is an increasing level of angst that is more fundamental and is not going to go away even when the economy improves."

Which leads me to wonder: for someone entering the workforce—or for the many of us who may be reevaluating our careers—just what are the best jobs out there today?

This article from Portfolio.com via MSNBC.com has some answers. There's good news for some:

Of the ten categories into which the Bureau of Labor Statistics divides jobs, the "professional" and "service" categories — already the two largest in the economy — will boast the most job openings in 2008.

In the next decade, 17% more employees will be employed in in the professional or service sectors than are today, nearly double the expansion of other categories.

What jobs in particular?

With an increase in demand, professional and service jobs, which include professions like educator, scientist, health care worker and artist in the "professional" category, and police officer, child caretaker and cosmetologist in the "service" category, will also add roughly a million new jobs to the economy.

On the flip side, here are the careers not to head into in 2008.

By comparison, other categories such as construction, sales and administration, are predicted to grow by only 10 percent; all eight other occupational groups combined will add only about half a million jobs to the economy in 2008. ... If you're job searching in certain occupational groups — namely farming, production, or transportation — you're looking at slow or negative growth and poor job availability.

The four job categories with the most aggressive growth rates:

1. Computer/mathematical
2. Community/social service
3. Health practices
4. Education/library

So, want work? Become a teacher. But first, read Claudia Wallis's excellent article in TIME about how American schools are trying to identify and reward great teachers. The pay sucks, there's little respect, and the stress is through the roof—but you may have a shot at a small bonus.