HOT JOBS IN THE CITY

By Johnny Duncan

While the nightly news is filled with dire economic predictions and that last round of layoffs at a large company, the local picture in Central Florida, and East Orlando in particular, is far from dismal. Here, is a fresh view of what local jobs are hot.

When it comes to unemployment, Central Florida is not as bad as we might think, particularly when compared to the rest of the nation. “The Central Florida unemployment rate is 4.5%,” says Roger Lear, President of OrlandoJobs.com. “Even after the last ‘recession’ in 2002, the unemployment rate was only 6.1%. We are certainly seeing some industries put hiring on hold, but in Central Florida a lot of companies are looking for talent. We also see some companies using a friendlier candidate pool to upgrade their current workforce.”

The latest State of Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation press release supports Lear’s statistics. Although Florida’s March 2008 unemployment rate is the highest since 2004, our numbers are well under the national unemployment rate of 5.1%. Keeping the figures in perspective is key. When we consider the big picture – recession, record high gas prices, and the housing meltdown – we are living in a state that has managed to maintain a higher than average employment rate.

Lear adds, "The jobs in Central Florida that will be hot in the future are in healthcare, technology, and hospitality. While that shouldn't surprise anyone, capitalizing on this trend is tricky if you don't have the education or experience to get these jobs. Nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists, medical secretaries, housekeeping, database administration, software engineers, website designers and coders are just a few examples. Thankfully, in Central Florida there are several schools that specialize in training for all of these areas. Also, most of these jobs are recession-proof."

The state’s Agency for Workforce Innovation reveals that the areas of education and health services saw a growth of 35,100 jobs (3.5%), accounting for a large piece of the job-gains pie. Third among Florida’s major industries in job growth, after health and government, is the hospitality industry.

The agency’s Labor Market Statistics Industry Projection Data defines hot jobs as “jobs growing faster than the average for all occupations in the area (1.89%), have at least 50 annual openings, have an entry wage of at least $9.80 per hour and an average wage of at least $12.05 per hour.”

Monesia T. Brown, Director of the Agency for Workforce Innovation, states, "Workforce Florida-led initiatives, as well as services and resources available through Florida's 24 regional workforce boards and nearly 100 One-Stop Career Centers, support employment and training opportunities in high-skill, high-wage and high demand sectors. These programs are accessible through w ww.EmployFlorida.com .”

If you have an interest in exploring the ‘hot’ jobs listed above, visit the Florida Labor Market Statistics site, www.labormarketinfo.com, where they have a detail of skill sets needed for each job.

The following is a list of the top fifteen jobs they have identified as hot in their 2007-2015

projection:

Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts

Computer Software Engineers

Physician Assistants

Medical Assistants, Paralegals and Legal Assistants

Computer Software Engineers

Database Administrators

Network and Computer Systems Administrators

Dental Hygienists

Physical Therapist Assistants

Computer Systems Analysts

Special Education Teachers

Diagnostic Medical Sonographers

Occupational Therapists

Physical Therapists

Personal Financial Advisors