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Job opportunities

There are three big issues in today’s economy — jobs, jobs, and jobs. People without work are really desperate for jobs. When we look past the recession and down the road a couple of years, where will the jobs be and what will they pay? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden shares the latest projections.

“Well , we have a new report, fresh report from the Federal Government that makes projections. Now we don’t know if these projections will hold, but they’re the best projection we have about where the big job gains will be, let’s say, over the next decade. And the areas of health-care, retail trade and professional jobs, those three areas are going to generate the biggest numbers of jobs.

“In fact, four out of the Top 10 job generators will be in health-care. Some of those will pay well, like registered nurses. Others will not pay as well, like health-care aids.

“Two of the Top 10 job generators will be professional jobs. In particular, accountants, and interestingly the profession I’m in, college teachers. I think the reason for the latter is a lot of us are now retiring, and those positions will need to be refilled. And of course those two types of jobs pay rather well.

“We’re also going to have many job openings in retail sells, but a lot of those are going to pay modest to low areas like office clerks.”