Hot Government Job Sectors

In the wake of September 11, 2001, government priorities shifted toward beefing up homeland security. The net result of this has been that administrations related to law enforcement, border patrol and security have seen tremendous growth, while others that do not contribute directly to security have suffered from budget cutbacks. As a counterpoint to the cutbacks, a huge portion of the federal workforce is approaching retirement age. As these experienced veterans move on to other pursuits, replacements will need to be recruited, trained, and groomed for the future.

According to the report, “Where the Jobs are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America” by the Partnership for Public Service almost 80% of new hires over the next few years will come from five sectors:

• Security, protection, compliance and enforcement
• Medical and public health
• Accounting, budget and business
• Engineering and sciences
• Program management, analysis and administration

The report also states that demand is expected to increase for Air Traffic Controllers, IT professionals, Foreign Service Officers and Patent Examiners, while it will decline for administrative and clerical workers.