(As a disclaimer, I would like to point out that there really isn’t such a thing as a completely recession proof job. Recessions come with lay-offs and downsizing across many industries and even ones that were traditionally safe are getting less safe. Still, these jobs have a better chance of weathering the storm than others).
It’s hard to be a job seeker now. It’s been hard for a while, but this year may mark it as being one of the harder ones since Covid. Tariffs have the potential to wreck havoc across many industries while in the US, even jobs that are normally pretty secure like government jobs or education, are feeling rocked. It’s no wonder that more people are trying to figure out how they can weather this economic storm and which jobs are likely to be safer harbours.
This is not a 100% foolproof list. There are many experts who are now saying that we are basically in uncharted waters when it comes to the economy, job markets, and industries. But at least these jobs have a better chance of weathering the storm and can also give you some great experiences and skills that can be leveraged in other jobs.
What are some great recession proof (or at least recession resistant) jobs?
- Education. All right, in the US, education is getting axed all over the place, but in Canada, it’s still holding strong. Education is often thought of as jobs in high schools or elementary schools, but there is actually a huge range of things that can be done: teaching online, working as an education assistant (and our 1 year Special Education Assistant Program can get you there!), writing curriculum and programming, tutoring, counselling in schools, or working in admin. You don’t have to necessarily be a teacher to work in a school.
- Medical field: People will still get sick, need dental work, need physical therapy, need medications, and in general need healthcare, no matter how the economy is doing. Now, going from not a doctor to a doctor any time quickly probably won’t happen, but you can start small with pharmacy technician, transcriptions, or working on the admin side.
- Banking and accounting. Sure many of us don’t have a lot of money, but we still need help dealing with it. Banking, accounting, book-keeping, finances, investing; all of those things aren’t going away. You still have to pay taxes, put money in a bank account or know how to invest, save, or manage a budget. This means that jobs in the financial field aren’t going away. If you enjoy working with numbers, this is a pretty safe field to get into.
- Law Enforcement/Security: Maintaining security and law and order is always important and sadly, can be more important during economy instability. Getting into basic security is fairly easy in British Columbia, though working as a police officer will take more training. Either way, it’s a fairly safe and stable job market and can be very rewarding.
- Trades. Trades are usually pretty safe (Though anything to do with cars and trucks is stickier right now due to tariffs). Trades such as electrician, HVAC, carpentry, and plumbing though are likely not going anywhere anytime soon as there is always a need for skilled workers who can build things, repair things, and improve infrastructure. Trades can also include things like cooking, computer technician, IT security, and more; it’s a very diverse range of industries and most of them are fairly recession proof.
- Social Worker: Social work is in demand right now, especially in smaller communities. Social workers can work with children, youth, adults and seniors and work to make them safer, more comfortable, learn life skills, resolve problems, and advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations. During recessions, people often need the help of social workers even more, so it becomes a very in demand field that only requires a bit of training, though moving up in the ladder requires college and university level training.
Education, health, security, trades, and social work are really the safest industries when it comes to economic instabilities. There will always be a demand for these things and several of them don’t take that long to get into, at least to the first rung of the ladder. And one good thing about a downturn is that it’s a good opportunity to reassess your career, update your education, and see where you can pivot next. Scary, absolutely, but it’s may also be a chance for something new.
Good luck out there!
