Where will the jobs be found?

In yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, Andrea Coombes posed the question, “What kind of jobs will the economic stimulus bill create, and who will qualify for them?” If you’re reading this blog, chances are good that you (along with 11.6 million other unemployed Americans) are keenly interested in the answer to that question.

While the bill is not yet finalized, and assessing job creation, Coombes reminds us, is an inexact science, it is estimated that the stimulus package would create or save 3.6 million jobs by the end of 2010, although construction workers could be the only employees who see new jobs emerging in their field this year. Many of the jobs that do become available will appear thanks to planned projects in alternative energy, which will create jobs for accountants, bookkeepers, controllers and auditors through infrastructure projects. Health care and government workers like office assistants and administrative professionals can also be on the lookout for jobs as a major portion of federal funding would be poured into Medicaid health-care expansions.

For now, be sure to look beyond the bad news in the headlines and keep some perspective as you search for a job. Find good fits for your skills, consider options available through temp agencies, and, obvious as it may seem, see where the jobs will be.

Where Will Stimulus Bring Jobs? [Wall Street Journal]

--Posted by Steven Schiff, Vault News & Commentary