In a recent update, the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has projected that health care and social assistance are one of two sectors expected to generate 8.2 million jobs in the period from 2008-2018. The other hot sector is professional and business services. These sectors represent more than half the increase in total employment, according to the BLS Editor's Desk daily update. The two sectors have a projected growth rate of 24 percent over the 2008-2018 period.

The information correlates to the Winter 2009-10 Occupational Outlook Quarterly (OOQ), which specifically charts the 2008-2018 projections in employment. According to the OOQ's author Dixie Sommers, Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, registered nurses and home health aides should gain the most new jobs along with customer service representatives. Registered nurses alone will account for a half million jobs. Most job openings in the next decade will result from vacancies due to persons leaving the profession, rather than newly created jobs.

The growth in health care jobs extends to the service occupations sector, where health care support is also expected to gain over a million jobs between 2008-2018. The growth in opportunities should result from increased demand for services, including home care for the elderly and disabled.

The management, scientific, and technical consulting services industry should also be among the fastest-growing areas and provide the most new jobs. Some specific professions with excellent growth potential include: biomedical engineers (72%), home health aides (50%), personal and home care aids (46%), medical scientists (excepting epidemiologists) (40%), biochemists and biophysicists (37%), and medical assistants (34%). Physicians and surgeons have the second-highest growth and projected number of job openings in those professions that require a Master's, Doctoral or professional degree. The OOQ says this growth is due to demands from care for the aging population in the U.S.

In related job-seeking news, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has just announced the "Explore and Recommend" phase of its "Tools for America's Job Seekers Challenge." The challenge offers varied online resources for job seekers. In addition, the challenge allows job seekers and workplace professionals to vote on favorite job search and career sites.

The public may explore the resources from January 4 to 15, 2010, and offer reviews and feedback on the 400+ participating job and career sites, which are allowing job seekers free access. The free access should be through the http://www.dol.gov/challenge/ portal. Later in January, the DOL will notify the public regarding the tools receiving the best feedback. A list of all the tools submitted will be available to the public to assist in job searches.

"Even in these challenging times, there are jobs out there waiting to be filled," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "By leveraging the resources of hundreds of private and public sector career Web sites, we have created a major online asset for job seekers and an innovative way to gauge which tools appeal most to consumers."

In late January, the department will share the tools receiving the most positive feedback with the public. An alphabetical list of all tools that were submitted during the contest will be posted and will serve as a lasting job search and career information resource for job seekers.

Read more about it:

The Editor's Desk projections: www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2010/ted_20100104.htm

The Occupational Outlook Quarterly: http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2009/winter/winter2009ooq.pdf

The DOL press release: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20091575.htm