In the post-pandemic era, a number of industries are continuing to suffer significant labor shortages that are impacting their ability to deliver high-quality services.
Different industries are suffering from labor shortages for different reasons. For example, industries where the majority of available positions are with government institutions or agencies are generally unable to raise pay and benefits to compete with careers in the private sector. In other cases, the extreme amount of time required to acquire the skills and knowledge to function effectively in a job can make certain industries less attractive to job applicants.
Whether you are interested in finding a paying job fast or you want to do the most good in your career, here are a few industries you might explore to fill gaps in labor shortages.
Health care
There have been concerns about a shortage in health care labor, particularly related to nurses, for nearly a decade, but the exceedingly high demands on the health care system during the pandemic years have dramatically worsened the issue. Today, there is a great need for almost every type of health care worker, from doctors and nurses to pharmacists and counselors. There is even a demand for all sorts of behind-the-scenes professionals working in health care administration. Research from the Health Resources and Services Administration suggests that the United States needs tens of thousands more health care workers to alleviate the significant pressure that currently afflicts the health care system, so you might consider investigating your health care career options today.
Education
There are clear correlations between the quality and level of an individual’s education and their impact on society. Communities that are more educated tend to have lower rates of crime, better health, higher rates of civil and political participation and overall greater lifetime satisfaction. It should be no surprise that education is widely considered one of the best investments for a society to make.
Yet, America’s education system has long suffered from a shortage of educators, and as with health care workers, the pandemic only worsened the issue. To reduce class sizes and improve the quality of education students receive, the U.S. needs to gain 55,000 teachers in the coming years. While systemic changes might attract more professionals to the education field, you can make a difference by committing to an education career today.
Law Enforcement
Law enforcement is not a popular career choice at present — and it isn’t difficult to see why. To uphold the law and keep communities safe, law enforcement officials are constantly placed in high-pressure situations, where incorrect decisions could result in injury or death of themselves or those around them. Worse, public opinion of law enforcement continues to decline, and calls for reform can put some law enforcement positions at risk of elimination. As a result, there are fewer and fewer new recruits, especially in high-crime areas that desperately need additional law enforcement support.
Even if you want to see significant changes to the criminal justice system, a career in law enforcement might be right for you. From the inside, you have the chance to change the culture and practices of your fellow officers, and there are plenty of career paths through law enforcement that you might find both exciting and rewarding.
Transportation
These days, almost nothing is produced in the same community where it is consumed. People acquire goods that were made elsewhere and shipped to their area, which means that there is a significant need for a highly efficient transportation system to move all manner of things from there to here. In the post-pandemic period, there is an even higher demand for rapid, well-organized and low-cost transportation of goods as an overwhelming number of shoppers have transitioned to making the majority of their purchases online.
Unfortunately, 96 percent of transit organizations report suffering from a shortage of transportation professionals, from truck drivers to logistics managers. Though it may not seem like a glamorous career, transportation does promise to be lucrative, so you might explore in-demand opportunities today.
A growing economy is good — but only if a country can sustain that growth by addressing labor shortages as they arise. By choosing a career in any of the above industries, you can help build a stronger America for everyone, and you can secure stable and satisfying employment for yourself.
