Where the Jobs Are

The bigger the triangle, the better the opportunities

By Stephen Gandel Monday, July 04, 2011

    • One of the reasons U.S. unemployment has remained high is a mismatch of workers and jobs. For example, the housing boom drew workers into construction. Now there are over 12 unemployed in that industry for every job opening. In health care, the ratio is more like 2 to 1. Where are the unemployed likely to go? Not everyone will be headed to Wall Street or health care. The industries that will probably attract the most workers will offer a mix of stability and good salaries. On that basis, government looks likely to attract a larger percentage of the workforce in the next decade. But with rising deficits and state-budget cutbacks, market forces alone could create a new jobs mismatch.