“A skilled worker, regardless of the job description, remains a treasure.” – Madeleine M. Kunin
The global economic slowdown in 2015 is said to have a delayed impact on labor markets in 2016, resulting in a rise in unemployment levels, particularly in emerging economies. According to the International Labour Organization’s World Employment and Social Outlook – Trends 2016 (WESO), the estimated worldwide unemployment rate in 2015 was 197.1 million and this year it was estimated to rise by 2.3 million, reaching to 199.4 million.
Result of Unemployment
This report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) about the worldwide increase of unemployment is alarming because this will make a big impact in the countries’ economies. High unemployment in a country will result in economical problems such as the following:
- Less spending of people, thus, hurting the country’s overall economy
- Low GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
- or even Recession
Source: ILO – World Social Employment Outlook Trends 2016
Unemployment might happen in many industry. Some of the businesses in these industries will cut employees to control their spending and maintain their businesses. But while this is the case, there are still industries that have high demand for jobs.
What You Can Do
So to avoid unemployment, some of the things that you can do are: (1) Apply to the industries that are barely affected by the unemployment trend; and (2) Take freelance jobs.
The Most In Demand Jobs in 2016
Since it is the second half of 2016, let us review the most in demand jobs in the year 2016.
Top Ten In-Demand Jobs that Require a Degree
| Occupation | Ave. Monthly Unique Job Postings | Ave. Monthly Hires | Gap Between Postings and Hires | Job Growth 2010-2015 | Total Employment in 2015 | Median Hourly Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 296,631 | 97,549 | 199,082 | 171,097 | 2,776,836 | $32.04 |
| Software Developers, Applications | 114,921 | 31,272 | 83,649 | 126,277 | 727,753 | $45.92 |
| Marketing Managers | 91,630 | 8,447 | 83,183 | 23,692 | 193,619 | $61.12 |
| Sales Managers | 70,558 | 17,750 | 52,808 | 35,399 | 370,648 | $53.20 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 63,683 | 11,850 | 51,833 | 26,080 | 321,961 | $44.62 |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | 69,636 | 18,568 | 51,068 | 36,640 | 381,001 | $36.44 |
| Industrial Engineers | 55,264 | 7,985 | 47,279 | 25,426 | 244,225 | $39.18 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 71,555 | 24,703 | 46,852 | 87,023 | 556,922 | $39.76 |
| Web Developers | 52,431 | 6,641 | 45,790 | 22,282 | 130,161 | $30.52 |
| Financial Managers | 63,157 | 23,251 | 39,906 | 37,458 | 542,618 | $55.44 |
Top Ten In-Demand Jobs that Do Not Require a Degree
| Occupation | Ave. Monthly Unique Job Postings | Ave. Monthly Hires | Gap Between Postings and Hires | Job Growth 2010-2015 | Total Employment in 2015 | Median Hourly Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,091,024 | 106,355 | 984,669 | 208,932 | 1,695,977 | $19.00 |
| Food Service Managers | 52,132 | 18,724 | 33,408 | 24,690 | 203,311 | $23.34 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 63,533 | 32,596 | 30,937 | 85,324 | 645,478 | $22.89 |
| Insurance Sales Agents | 40,909 | 22,075 | 18,834 | 69,125 | 635,431 | $23.01 |
| Medical Records and Health Information Technicians | 21,505 | 7,609 | 13,896 | 15,456 | 194,723 | $17.26 |
| Surgical Technologists | 10,864 | 3,150 | 7,714 | 11,186 | 103,054 | $20.84 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 19,074 | 13,427 | 5,647 | 25,434 | 252,286 | $20.98 |
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | 10,118 | 5,048 | 5,070 | 10,454 | 111,859 | $41.06 |
| Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products | 16,647 | 11,973 | 4,674 | 19,003 | 300,486 | $29.32 |
| Medical Secretaries | 23,893 | 20,786 | 3,107 | 74,124 | 550,716 | $15.50 |
The Most In Demand Freelancing Jobs in 2016
Other thing that you can do to avoid being unemployed is to adapt the freelancing trends. According to a blog post by Elaine Pofeldt in CNBC, employers are preferring to hire freelancers.
“Experts say work in itself isn’t disappearing. What is declining, they say, is how it is packaged. Rather than employ people in traditional jobs, more employers are choosing to hire contractors.”
The Most In Demand Freelance Jobs
In a blog post by Rich Person, senior Vice-President of Upwork, he wrote that the most in-demand jobs and industries in Upwork this 2016 are the following:
- Virtual Teams
- IT Consulting
- Presentations Creation (Prezi and Keynote)
- Video Production
- Content Marketing
In addition, I also found out that these jobs and industries are in-demand:
- Web development: Web Design, Search Engine Optimization, Online Marketing
- Graphic Design: Logo Design
- Content Writing
Key Takeaway
In conclusion, the most in-demand jobs requiring a degree are under the Technical and Healthcare Industry. On the other hand, the most in-demand jobs that does not require a degree are Manual Jobs (Drivers and Mechanics) and jobs under the Healthcare Industry.
As regards the freelancing trends, you have no choice but to improve your technical skills — to maintain your “employability”.
If your job or industry is not in demand, do not lose hope. Remember that this is just a guide to help you make a better career decision. And who knows? Maybe the industry where you want to work for will boom next year.
Attribution
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Zarex Alvin Daria
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