Uncover the Top 6 High-Paying Careers Thriving Amid Recession Fears

Pursuing a career isn’t just about earning a high salary; it’s about achieving purpose and security. In an unpredictable economy, securing a recession-proof job is crucial for financial stability. Recent events have highlighted the need for careers that withstand economic fluctuations. So, which professions remain resilient during tough times, and which ones struggle?

Let’s explore some of the top recession-proof jobs.

What Does “Recession-Proof Jobs” Mean?

Recession-proof jobs provide job security, even in the most turbulent economic times. 

To be clear, no job – no matter how useful – is recession-proof. All jobs are unquestionably impacted by the broader performance of the economy as a whole, as are potential opportunities to advance later down the line.

However, there is no doubt that some jobs do better in down economic times than others. Furthermore, some jobs will continue to expand, have value, and have a need – even if the economy crashes. Such jobs are known as recession-proof jobs. There are many reasons that a job may be recession-proof, including:

– They occupy such an essential role in our society that they can survive any economic downturn.

– People tend to prioritize their money so that the job can survive an economic downturn

– The occupation works in a field that is disconnected from total financial performance.

The best recession-proof jobs typically occupy multiple of the above factors. However, even the most recession-proof jobs will have moments where external factors may threaten their long-term viability.

Government Jobs

These jobs are only partially immune from a recession. Still, often, governments face situations where they must continue to perform their duties, even if it means doing uncomfortably or long-term fiscally imprudent decision-making.

A great example of this phenomenon is law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and others that deal with attempting to control crime rates. 

There is no question that law enforcement officers have an essential role to play in our society. Not only are they needed to keep the police and expect the citizenry, but even in times of economic turmoil, people are typically willing to pay for police officers. 

This explains why a field in public safety is in such high demand: The need for the service, and the political pressure to support such a service, will always exist.

As such, federal government employees and other federal agents are usually not directly impacted by a recession. It helps to do any job with the federal government, one of the best recession-proof jobs someone can have.

– Law enforcement workers

– Probation officers

– Corrections workers

– Public transportation workers

– Utility workers

– Waste management employees

Health Care Sector

The healthcare sector is an industry that is of such vital importance that it is relatively recession-proof. During a recession, jobs that manage health care may see dents to their job security. This is particularly likely to be the case for people who cannot afford health care or those who engage in more “discretionary” health care procedures, like plastic surgery.

However, health care is always going to be needed. The combination of government assistance and insurance providers is enough to keep the healthcare industry relatively functioning, particularly given the overwhelming need that people will have. As a result, healthcare jobs are usually considered to be recession-proof, regardless of the economic climate.

– Senior care workers

– Physical and occupational therapists

– Hospital administrators

– Home health aides

– Hospice workers

– Vets

– Data analysts and other jobs that deal with health care.

Funeral Directors

It may not be thought of in the field of recession-proof jobs, but working for a well-regarded funeral home can provide you with good job security. The reasoning is simple: People still die, no matter the economic circumstances! As such, funeral workers often find that they can still do business successfully during economic and financial turbulence.

Individuals and families become much more likely to choose less expensive options, select less-lavish coffins, and have smaller receptions after a funeral. This will impact the bottom line of a funeral home and may result in less expansion and profit, as well as fewer job openings.

However, given that the need will still exist during these times, funeral workers are usually regarded as relatively recession-proof jobs.

Legal and Tax Profession

Anything connected to the legal profession still does relatively well, even during high financial turmoil. The reasoning is pretty simple: legal professionals will always be needed. 

Even in tough economic times, law firms usually see steady employment, although there are unquestionably threats to the job prospects of some lawyers during this time. The exact nature of these threats depends on the specific economic conditions of the moment.

The demand for legal services will always exist. People will always need wills done and revocable living trusts set up. Businesses will still open and close. Crimes will still happen, meaning people will still need to hire criminal defense lawyers.

Some specific areas of the legal profession may do exceptionally well during times of economic crisis. Bankruptcy lawyers are a great example of this. Like other times of financial stress, the great recession saw a massive increase in the number of businesses that closed and the number of people and companies that declared bankruptcy. There was an increased demand for lawyers dealing with bankruptcy and the end of companies.

Divorce lawyers may also see booming business during a recession. Stress levels skyrocket during a recession, and couples become more prone to fight over dwindling pools of money. 

Indeed, these stress factors are typically among the higher reasons marriages disintegrate, which happens during a period of high economic stress. As a result, the demand for the services of attorneys that deal with divorces increases.

– Bankruptcy lawyers

– Divorce lawyers

– Paralegals

– CPA

– Tax accountants

– IRS enrolled agents

 

Education

Regarding recession-proof jobs, education can be a double-edged sword, and there is no question that all fields of education are not hit equally by a recession. However, the good news is that education is a more recession-proof field than most.

There are many reasons why this is the case. 

First is obvious: Even in recessions, kids need to be educated. As noted above, governments can raise revenue in a way that can be separated from the rest of the economy. 

Furthermore, most people acknowledge the overwhelming importance of education, keeping these jobs in high demand and making teachers one of the better education-proof jobs that someone can work in. 

There is an ongoing shortage of people willing to work in the teaching field, which also increases the pressure for people to work here.

 

Some Service Industry Professions

Recessions often inspire people to cut out unnecessary services and reevaluate where they spend their limited money. Indeed, these jobs tend to be among the first to go when people are more worried about their financial future. 

However, that doesn’t mean that all service jobs will be eliminated during a recession. Indeed, these jobs are vitally necessary in many cases and provide services that individuals cannot live without.

There are many examples of services without which people cannot survive in modern society. Some examples include:

– Grocery store employees

– Auto mechanics

– Utility workers

– Bus drivers

There is a wide range of positions, but as you can see, they have one thing in common: In some form or another, given the current makeup of our society, these positions will be recession-proof. 

However, they may not be future-proof. Cars are becoming increasingly automated, and this may reduce the need for bus drivers in the future. 

More and more people are relying on the internet to purchase groceries. Working as a grocery store employee may not always be in high demand. 

In fact, will robots take my job with automation is a constant fear.

This brings up the final point: Recession-proof is excellent. But the future proof is better. 

The job market is constantly changing to reflect modern society’s needs. As such, you may not want to consider what job will get you through a recession but what job won’t be automated in the future.

It can be challenging to determine, of course. However, it is an added consideration.

Should You Protect Yourself With Recession-Proof Jobs

So, what’s the final career advice? Should you pick a job based on one likely to survive during economic uncertainty? After all, job stability is a hugely important factor in a job search.

Recession-proof jobs will always be in demand and must be part of anyone’s career selection decisions. However, just because a job is recession-proof doesn’t mean that the industry won’t be impacted, in some way, by a recession.

Every downturn is also different, which makes investing during a recession hard.

As such, keep all the above factors in mind, but don’t let a job’s relative recession-proof standing be the final deciding factor. Economic stress is a nightmare, but working in bad sectors worsens mental health.

One solution could be to work in growth sectors dependent on economic conditions. Yes, the job might not be safe in a downturn, but hopefully, you have a side hustle that takes care of your living expenses portion of your budget.

Of course, the best side hustle should combine your high-income skills and your current job or hobby. Create an online business related to your CPA skills if you are a CPA. Although software programming might be lucrative, you would need to spend a lot of time and effort to become an expert.

Due to the low cost of starting a website, your downside is limited compared to starting a physical business. You can start today as a side gig without interfering with your primary income source. 

Pick a topic or niche related to your day job (so you already have the skills). Or your hobby so that your passion will continue to inspire others.

Start a website for only $4.99/month in 10 minutes and post at least once a week. Grow your audience and develop your true 1000 fans.

After the initial work on generating content in the form of an e-book, blog posts, courses, etc., your website will be one of the best investments for monthly income.

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