Texas Healthcare Jobs Make Up 50 Percent of Fastest-Growing Occupations

Texas healthcare jobs make up half of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations in the state.

The education and health services industry in Texas employed 1,377,800 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,373,000 workers during November and a 4.6 percent increase from December 2008.

Five of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations in Texas are healthcare related, according to CareerOneStop. These positions are great for those who want to get into the healthcare industry but don't necessarily want to work as a doctor or nurse.

These include:

• Personal and home care aides - Ranked first, this occupation will increase by 56 percent to 207,850 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Medical assistants - Ranked third, this occupation will increase by 56 percent to 27,620 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Physical therapist assistants - Ranked fifth, this occupation will increase by 47 percent to 5,570 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Physician assistants - Ranked ninth, this occupation will increase by 45 percent to 5,540 employees between 2006 and 2016.
• Pharmacy technicians - Ranked 10th, this occupation will increase by 44 percent to 35,050 employees between 2006 and 2016.

The entire list of the top 10 fastest-growing occupations include:

1. Personal and home care aides
2. Network systems and data communications analysts
3. Medical assistants
4. Special education teachers for preschool, kindergarten and elementary students
5. Physical therapist assistants
6. Computer software engineers, applications
7. Special education teachers for middle school students
8. Kindergarten teachers, except special education
9. Physician assistants
10. Pharmacy technicians

Jobs in Raleigh NC for Youth

Young people will soon have a chance to apply for jobs in Raleigh NC.

The City of Raleigh's Summer Youth Employment Program recently announced it will offer about 160 summer jobs to local youth. The program is administered by the city's Community Services Department.

The program - which is only available to those between the ages of 14 and 18 who live within the Raleigh city limits - is meant to develop good work habits and promote education and job experience as a prerequisite to a successful future.

Those chosen for the program will be expected to work between 20 and 35 hours per week. First and second-year participants can expect to earn $7.25 per hour. Personal and career development workshops also will be available during the summer.

Interested youth can complete an application at any one of the 10 designated city locations. Applicants must have a clear photocopy of their Social Security card and either a state-issued driver's license, state-issued learner's permit, military identification or state identification card.

Raleigh youth could certainly use the additional help when it comes to finding a job, as the city's unemployment rate held steady at 8.6 percent from September to November 2009. The city also has continued to lose jobs on a monthly and yearly basis as of late.

The Raleigh-Cary area had a total non-farm employment of 508,300 workers during December 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is down from 509,700 workers during November and a 1.6 percent decrease from December 2008.

Job Openings in Miami from More Graduates?

A higher graduation rate would create more job openings in Miami.

A recent report from the Alliance for Excellent Education found that a 50-percent reduction in the number of high school dropouts in South Florida would result in large increases in job creation, personal spending, and home and car sales.

The areas included in the report - Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach - account for 106 high schools. Of those schools, 52 are considered "dropout factories," or schools in which less than 60 percent of freshmen graduate on time.

About 33,600 students from the class of 2008 dropped out of school before graduation. If half of those students, or about 16,800, had gone on to graduate, they would earn a combined average of $212 million more than they will without a diploma.

In addition, those graduates would most likely purchase homes halfway through their careers, accounting for a total of $480 million more than what they will spend without a diploma. They also would spend an additional $19 million on car purchases each year.

Those actions would cause local tax revenue to increase by up to $16 million per year, while new graduates would spend an additional $157 million and invest an additional $55 million during the average year.

That additional spending and investment would lead to the creation of about 1,950 new jobs, increasing the gross regional product by up to $295 million by the time the new graduates were halfway through their careers.

Atlanta Education Jobs

If you're looking for a teaching career, there are plenty of opportunities when it comes to Atlanta education jobs.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta area's education industry has continued to see a monthly and yearly increase in employment, despite the current economic recession.

The industry employed 270,900 workers during November 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 270,500 workers during October and a 2.8 percent increase from the previous year.

Atlanta Public Schools, which serves as the city's public elementary and secondary school system, is run by the Atlanta Board of Education. As of 2007, APS had an active enrollment of 49,773 students.

According to Wikipedia, APS operates a total of 106 schools, including 58 elementary schools, 16 middle schools, 20 high schools and seven charter schools. Three of the elementary schools operate on a year-round calendar.

APS also operates two alternative schools for middle and high school students, including two single-sex academies and an adult learning center. The system also owns and operates a radio station, National Public Radio affiliate and Public Broadcasting Service television station.

When it comes to higher education, Atlanta serves as home to one of the largest concentrations of colleges and universities in the nation. The city has more than 30 higher education institutions.

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a predominant engineering and research university located in Atlanta that has been ranked among the top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report for more than 10 years.

The city is home to the Atlanta University Center, which serves as the largest consortium of historically-black colleges and universities in the country. AUC schools include Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College and the Interdenominational Theological Center. The Morehouse School of Medicine adjoins the other AUC schools, but is independent from them.

Georgia State University is located in Atlanta, along with a Savannah College of Art and Design campus in Midtown, the John Marshall Law School and the Reformed Theological Seminary.

Schools throughout outer Atlanta include Emory University, Oglethorpe University, Agnes Scott College and Reinhardt College.

The outer Atlanta area also has several state-run institutions, including: Clayton State University, Georgia Perimeter College, Kennesaw State University, Southern Polytechnic State University and the University of West Georgia.

Denver Colorado Jobs Ranked Among Best in Nation

Those looking for Denver Colorado jobs may be in luck.

The most recent Job Search Difficulty Index from Juju ranked Denver as the eighth-best city in the country for job seekers. The report is based on the ratio of jobless workers to the number of job openings advertised online.

The index found that Denver had 3.81 unemployed workers per advertised job during December. Colorado was ranked as the eighth-best state for job seekers, with 4.99 unemployed workers per advertised job.

Washington, D.C., was ranked as the best city for job seekers, with 1.87 unemployed workers per advertised job, while Detroit was ranked as the worst city, with 20.76 unemployed workers per available job.

The District of Columbia was ranked as the best state for job seekers, with 1.65 unemployed workers per job openings, while Michigan was ranked as the worst state, with 18.97 unemployed workers per advertised job.

The top 10 cities for job seekers are:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. San Jose, Calif.
3. Baltimore, Md.
4. Boston, Mass.
5. New York, N.Y.
6. Salt Lake City, Utah
7. Hartford, Conn.
8. Denver, Colo.
9. San Antonio, Texas
10. Austin, Texas

The 10 worst cities for job seekers include:

1. Orlando, Fla.
2. Providence, R.I.
3. Birmingham, Ala.
4. Los Angeles, Calif.
5. Sacramento, Calif.
6. Las Vegas, Nev.
7. Riverside, Calif.
8. Miami, Fla.
9. St. Louis, Mo.
10. Detroit, Mich.

The top 10 states for job seekers are: the District of Columbia; Virginia; North Dakota; Massachusetts; Maryland; Nebraska; Alaska; Colorado; Connecticut; and Utah.

The 10 worst states for job seekers include: California; Alabama; North Carolina; South Carolina; Kentucky; Rhode Island; Nevada; Idaho; Mississippi; and Michigan.