The recession, or depression, is upon us — and it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time in the next few years.  The unemployment rate is higher than it has been since the Carter recession.  The average length of unemployment has reached record highs and millions of Americans have been unemployed so long that the government no longer includes them in the official unemployment statistics. The Obama adminstration is spending trillions of dollars it hasn’t collected yet, and stock market insiders are selling thirty times more stock than they are buying.  Times are hard and they are going to get a lot harder.

But that doesn’t mean we can sit down and quit.  Not all of us can go on the government dole.  So, what jobs are going to be “recession proof” during this economic storm?

Government Jobs

The economy may be shedding jobs like crazy, but the government is growing at the fastest rate since WWII.  Federal agencies are creating tens of thousands of pages of new regulations for Americans to follow and someone is going to have to enforce those regulations.

In addition, government jobs pay a lot better than free market jobs and it’s almost impossible to get fired from one.  The average American earns $39.751/yr; the average government worked is paid $74,519/yr.

Health Jobs

The government has decided to provide “free” health care to everyone.  There is no way this can be done with the number of medical professionals currently working in the United States.  The industry is going to have to nearly double it’s size to keep up with demand once it’s services become free.

Even if the government doesn’t manage to legislate free health care, the “baby boomer” generation is retiring now and they are going to need a lot of caretakers to see them through their “golden years.”

Security Jobs

The rising unemployment rate will eventually lead to much higher crime rates.  In addition, the government is passing new laws at an alarming rate, and that places additional burdens on law-enforcement agencies.

The current administration’s policies of terrorist appeasement are certain to encourage more attacks on Americans and America’s allies. Look for security to be an in-demand field for the forseeable future.

Basic Services

These are the last things to be cut during hard economic times.  Garbage men, water plant workers, and grocery store employees may be some of the least troubled people during the next few years.