Recession-Proof Jobs to Consider in an Unstable Economy

No matter how much we enjoy it when the economy is booming, there always comes a time for a recession.

And in these tough times, it is especially difficult to be a jobseeker.

However, there are some industries that are somewhat immune to the recession, or even thrive on it.

In this article, we are going to explore all the jobs that you should consider during an economic uncertainty, so that you would be protected from layoffs.

But first things first – before you start applying for these jobs, make sure your resume is the best it can be. Try out our Resume Builder, and get your next job in no time.

And once you are ready with that, it is time to find out which are the best recession-proof jobs for you out there.

What are recession-proof jobs?

The first thing we need to understand is what exactly is a recession-proof job.

The term might come across a little misleading – no job is actually fully recession-proof.

However, there are certain jobs that stay in demand and don’t get impacted by periods of recession.

In uncertain economical time, recession-proof jobs provide the best security in comparison to other jobs.

Furthermore, depending on what caused the economic uncertainty, some jobs can even thrive, regardless of the economic’s health.

Top 15 recession-proof jobs to consider in an unstable economy

Now that you understand what a recession-proof job is, it is time to see the best of the best in that category.

We have provided you with the top 15 recession-proof jobs which you should definitely consider in uncertain economical time.

Education work

A job sector that you can’t go wrong when looking for a recession-proof job is the education work.

No matter how much technology advances, or in what state the economic is, education work is always in need.

Not only will you have security in your job during recession, but you will also help invest in the future by sharing your knowledge with youngsters.

You might think that an education job necessarily means that it is a teaching job, but the fact is – there is a great variety of jobs you can take on in the education sector.

Some of the most common education jobs are:

• Teaching
• School administration
• Counseling
• Online education
• On-demand education
• Adult education
• Special education

Furthermore, a job in the education sector would provide you with work flexibility, independence, workplace autonomy, and the opportunity to change people’s lives.

So, if you think education work would be a good fit for you, we have found your perfect fit right at the start.

Healthcare work

Another work sector that is absolutely recession-proof is the healthcare.

No matter what the economic situation is, healthcare professionals are always needed.

Furthermore, as stress can affect people’s health, anyone working in the healthcare sector might even have more work than usual.

Just like with the education sector, there are many possible jobs one can take on in the sector, like:

• Physician
• Surgeon
• Dentist
• Dental assistant
• Registered nurse
• Certified nursing assistant
• Healthcare administrator
• Veterinarian
• Laboratory technician
• Medical Technologist

And the list can go on and on. Even supporting positions like receptionists and janitors can prove to be more recession-proof when they are in healthcare facilities.

Law enforcement

It is not hard to notice that during an economically unstable time, crime rates usually jump.

In such times, many businesses want to invest in physical safety, and that’s why one of the most recession-proof jobs out there is a law enforcement.

Some of the most common jobs in that field are:

• Police officer
• Detective
• Investigator

And since law enforcement is actually a government job, funding for it is typically secure, and you don’t need to worry about the effects of the recession.

Law

When it comes to Law, not all professions are recession-proof, but there are certainly some fields that thrive in these times.

If you would like to take on a job in the law sector during a recession, make sure that you pick one of the following sub-sectors in order to be more secure in the unstable economy:

• Criminal defense
• Healthcare law
• Divorce law
• Bankruptcy law

And the best thing about that sector is that you don’t really need to go to law school for some position you can take on.

For example, you can always work as:

• Paralegal
• Legal assistant
• Legal secretary
• Court clerk
• Court reporter

Finance work

Naturally, some of the most recession-proof jobs are in the sector of finances, are such professionals are more needed than ever in an unstable economy.

There is a great variety of jobs you can take on in this sector as well, like:

• Accountant
• Financial advisor
• Financial controller
• Financial analyst
• Tax accountant
• Auditor
• Loan officer
• Bookkeeper
• Insurance agent

However, you need to keep in mind that for some of these jobs you will need professional certifications, like:

• Enrolled Agent (EA)
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

Mental health

During times of economic recession, some essential workers are those in the sector of mental health.

It is a fact that unstable economic can greatly influence the general’s public mental health, and in these cases anxiety becomes a threat to the population’s well-being.

Some of the most common jobs in the mental health sector are:

• Social worker
• Therapist
• Clinical psychologist
• School counselor
• Caseworker
• Substance abuse counselor

Attitudes towards mental health have changed greatly, and it is now an essential part of people’s lives, so it is a great career path to take on.

Utility services

A job sector that will probably never be affected by recession is this of utility services, as they are essential to maintaining order and public health.

Some jobs in that sector require some special qualification, but others don’t, so choose wisely according to your expertise.

The list of utility services jobs is quite long, but here is just a hint of it for you to get a better idea:

• Waste management professional
• Safety engineer
• Power plant engineer
• Gas or pipeline controller
• Wastewater engineer

And if you ever wonder why are utility services so important, you can just imagine any natural disaster, and what you would do without utility workers to help sort the situation out.

Trade work

Similarly to the utility services, you would also always need trade workers around the house, so that is definitely one more recession-proof field of work for you to consider.

Some of these professionals take on their skills through technical schools, but others manager to successfully learn on the job.

Some of the most common trade work positions are:

• Electrician
• Locksmith
• Carpenter
• Mechanic
• Plumber
• Pipe fitter

Grocery stores work

During a recession, many shops might be forced to close their doors to customers.

However, there is one type of shop that is safer than all others – a grocery store. After all, everyone needs food.

So, no matter what your position is, working in a grocery store might prove to be quite recession-proof.

Some positions you can take on in a grocery store are:

• Clerk
• Stocker
• Manager
• Personal shopper

Ride-share and delivery

Years ago, online shopping was reserved main to clothes and fancy electronics.

However, this is no longer the case, which actually adds delivery work to the list of recession-proof jobs.

More and more stores are transferring their business online, so delivery work is never in any actual danger.

Some jobs in that sector include:

• Ride-share driver
• Food delivery driver
• Package delivery driver
• Courier

Specialized care

We already mentioned that healthcare is essential, no matter the economic situation, but there is one more close field that offer recession-proof jobs.

That is the field of specialized care, and the main jobs you can take on in it are:

• Elder care professional
• Physiotherapist
• Social worker
• Chiropractor
• Home health professional
• Physical therapist

The best thing about specialized care is that it is often covered by insurance, which encourages people to use it even when money is tight.

Cybersecurity

As businesses are transferring more and more to the Internet, there is a great thread always looking around the corner for them.

Any business that is on the Internet is potentially vulnerable to cybercrime if no measures are taken to protect it.

That’s why, no matter what the state of the economic is, cybersecurity is one of the recession-proof jobs you can take on.

Cybersecurity can also be connected to other sectors that are recession-proof, as some of them carry sensitive data, that needs to be protected. Such sectors are:

• Finance sector
• Healthcare
• National security

Federal work

One of the most recession-proof job fields is in the federal work department.

Even in tough economical times, the government still needs to function, no matter what.

These jobs can vary from any big department, all the way to any facility in your local town hall.

These jobs matter, and are some of the best ones to have in a recession.

Furthermore, if you work in the military, you might even find encounter some growth despite the unstable economy.

Firefighter

Due to all the climate changes, fires are becoming increasingly common.

And if we combine this with more vacant buildings due to economic recession, we have ourselves a recipe for disaster.

That’s the reason firefighters also have one of the most recession-proof jobs.

Furthermore, fire departments get their funding from municipal funds and taxes, so it is not directly connected to the economic state.

IT work

And finally, we want to finish up our list of recession-proof jobs with one that proved itself to be one during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During these years, we really found out how important it is to have sound technology and reliable communication services.

So, no matter if you are creating software, or maintaining one, it is quite probable that uncertain economic time would not affect you.

Takeaways

We are all done, now you know what is a recession-proof job, and the 15 best sectors for you to consider during a tough economic times.

Let’s see our top 15 recession-proof jobs one more time:

• Education work
• Healthcare work
• Law enforcement
• Law
• Finance work
• Mental health
• Utility services
• Trade work
• Grocery stores work
• Ride-share and delivery
• Specialized care
• Cybersecurity
• Federal work
• Firefighter
• IT work

So, now that you know all that, find your best fit for a recession-proof job, and make your dream come true without worrying about the economic state.