In reading about the current and projected employment picture for New Hampshire we can draw some conclusions about which careers are likely to thrive going forward. Such information can be particularly useful for workers and residents who have decided New Hampshire offers a desirable lifestyle and who therefore intend to live and build their careers in the state for the long-term.
The local sources I like going to in order to find the information necessary for getting the state’s big employment picture include the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies, including anything written by NH economist Dennis Delay; The Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau from NH Employment Security; and of course regular reading of the New Hampshire Business Review.
By looking at these resources over time impressions are formed about the direction our state is going with regards to employment and careers. This is very helpful when advising clients, students, and others about where their energy should be directed in making career choices, whether at the start of a career of during the evolution of an ongoing one.
A couple of points help frame my outlook about career decision making in New Hampshire. One is that we are not a poor state. In both Median Household Income and Per Capita Income we rank 6th in the country. Secondly, we are a graying state in that our demographic trend favors an aging population. In general many of our young people go elsewhere to build their careers and there is not a robust in-migration of youth coming here to live and work. My own adult children form a case in point. One lives and works in LA and the other is just outside of Boston. My takeaway? Jobs that serve an older and somewhat affluent population should be considered.
Another trend of note is how strongly linked New Hampshire’s economy is to Massachusetts. When our friends to the south do well, so do we. Fortunately, many of Massachusetts’ numbers are looking good. The bad news is that NH has lost its former status of being a place with lots of job growth. The Boston area is attracting population and jobs more than NH is. It is not appearing as if we have the same level of economic prosperity relative to metro Boston, but some of their economy does spill into NH, at least as far north as Concord.
So with all that said where are the relatively bright industry sectors NH residents and workers can look to start and develop careers?
For reasons having to do perhaps with our state’s high percentage of college educated workers we see sectors such as business services offering opportunities. Professional services, for example consulting, accounting, architecture, engineering, company management, and staffing services are high paying jobs that have recovered beyond what we lost during the Recession.
Another sector showing an increase in jobs beyond those we lost during the economic downturn is leisure and hospitality. Tourism remains strong in NH, especially when the unpredictable weather cooperates. So food servers, hotel and inn staffing, and related jobs will be around for some time.
Health services would appear to be stable if not growing due in part to the aging population. Nursing, home health aides, dental hygienists, medical assistants, medical secretaries, and physical therapists are examples of positions likely to grow.
Computer system design and other IT and technical jobs have a bright outlook. Computer user support specialists, computer systems analysts, computer-controlled machine tool operators, IT administrators, and software developers are career areas with a future for now.
Also now with the foreclosure crisis having largely abated carpenters, plumbing, electricians, and other building trades, while not necessarily very strong, are seeing some resurgence.
Beware though of many manufacturing and government jobs, including in K–12 education. They are shrinking.
New Hampshire still offers a great environment in which to raise a family, enjoy nature, and build a career. And those factors looking forward are not going to change.