Here are the most employable majors in this down economy:

[taxguy]

I was talking to a friend who is a successful headhunter. I asked him about majors that are "in demand" in todays economy. He noted that if your kids major in any of the following majors, they should have no problem getting a job:

1. Health Care
2. Accounting
3. IT
4. Hard sciences such as engineering.
5. Certain language specialties such as Arabic ( if very competant)
6. Criminal studies due to the large increase in enforcement positions.


He noted that most of the other majors will have a hard time getting employed. I don't know how right he might be,but it does give you something to think about.

[hops_scout]

Education depending on the subject...

[goaliedad]

IT is a hit and miss kind of thing. Employers generally want a specific skill set. If you've got it, great. Otherwise, it is File 13. And they tend to change tools every 5 or so years, so find an employer who is willing to invest in your training long haul. Difficult to find over a long period of time. Spoken from almost 1/4 century in the business.

[ticklemepink]

Too bad, some of us aren't good in those majors. Does that make us failures?

[ADad]

^^No.

.

[Madeline'sMom]

Thanks, taxguy.

For me, personally, this is not the best 'news' , but for some near and dear to me it will likely be a reassuring little list.

I imagine I'd be at about #2086 on that list, but I do add creative contrast to my husband's life, and dear daughter got a good bunch of the dreamer/artist genes to complement the practical.
What a boring world this would be without our differences, don't you think?

.

[taxguy]

Madeline'smom, I completely agree. Life without literature and the arts would be dull indeed. When I posted my list of most employable majors , I was NOT making a value judgment as to the quality of any major. I was just noting what is most in demand.

Actually, I think that folks who combines aspects of those majors that I noted above with other things , can do well. For example, I don't think there is a huge demand for anthropology;however, if it can be combined with forensics, I think that there will be a demand for this combination. Likewise, artists may not be in big demand,but if they can combine art with strong computer skills, I would think that this would be a strong combination. Education combined with a hard science major or minor would also have a strong job prospect than someone who just majors in education.

[Marian]

The choice of major still needs to depend on the person.

We all know that nursing majors have it made. With the baby boom generation growing older and needing increasing amounts of health care, an R.N. is perhaps the best professional credential a person could have.

But if you don't want to be a nurse, that's kind of irrelevant.

[momtn]

I find it slightly alarming that in Michigan they are pushing laid off auto workers into the nursing field but I also have a friend who is a surgeon and calls himself a glorified mechanic so maybe it's a good fit:

Nursing Programs Offered For Displaced Autoworkers In Michigan
Universities and hospitals in Michigan have begun to offer accelerated nursing programs that target displaced autoworkers to help address a "nursing shortage that will only worsen in the next decade," the Detroit News reports. Jeanette Kelmczak, the chief nursing executive for Michigan, said that the state will have a shortage of 7,000 nurses by 2010 and that the shortage will increase as many nurses retire in the next 20 years. Between 2001 and 2006, about 92,200 autoworkers in Michigan lost their jobs, according to state data. University of Michigan economists Joan Crary, George Fulton and Saul Hymans estimate that an additional 44,900 autoworkers in the state will lose their jobs between 2006 and 2008. Over the past two years, Michigan has awarded $20 million to fund accelerated nursing programs, and the state this year plans to award an additional $10 million. Last month, Beaumont Hospitals and Michigan State University held an informational session on accelerated nursing programs for displaced workers with bachelor's degrees. The Oakwood Healthcare System also contacted the human resources departments at GM and Ford about similar informational sessions in December 2006 and January 2007. In addition, Oakland University and the Henry Ford Health System have partnered to develop an accelerated nursing program specifically for displaced Ford workers. The program will offer two tracks: one for displaced Ford workers without college degrees through which they can obtain nursing degrees in three years, rather than four; and one for workers with bachelor's degrees (Kosmetatos, Detroit News, 2/15). Nursing Programs Offered For Displaced Autoworkers In Michigan

[NorthMinnesota]

Healthcare has also been affected by the economic downturn. People are putting off elective surgeries and there is also a great increase in uninsured patients needing care. Don't be surprised to see layoffs in some hospitals.

[samiamy]

hospitals are already working at a deficit as far as workers go, unless they outright shut the doors, there wont be a shortage of health care jobs, especially RN jobs.

[Papa Chicken]

I'll second the hard science & engineering. In the env consulting business, and demand is still pretty strong, and still hiring....may let up in a while, but depends on stimulus package in part.

[Treetopleaf]

taxguy. thanks for the list. The inclusion of accounting and IT matches what my underemployed business-major nephew said about what the companies were hiring.

Also agree about certain education fields. HS physics is often taught by underqualified teachers. I was speaking to a fellow who just became a physics teacher; he said that there were 2 kids going for physics ed. at his big midwestern flagship in his class.

Does anyone have a reference for what IT is, at least in the eyes of employers?

[momnipotent]

For those of us who have been in the nursing profession for ....well, a long time...the rollercoaster ride that is supply vs. demand for nurses is on a continuum. I can recall years when there were no vacancies on nursing units in my hospital for long stretches. The year I graduated, however, there were sign-on bonuses for those signing a 2 year commitment. I guess the most recent trend that I have observed (but have no formal documentation) is that the new grads are a transient bunch and don't stay put as long as those who have been around for awhile.

[dragonmom]

Papachicken, in your experience, what's the outlook for EnviSci/Bio majors? (Of course, kid says she doesn't care if she ever makes any money as long as she helps people....)