5 Recession-Proof Job Options When You’re Looking For A New Career

In 2023, many U.S. economists predicted a recession. Though it never came to fruition last year, rising inflation and interest rates have folks preparing for a future recession. An economic downturn, like a recession, can cause massive layoffs and inevitably, bring both financial and job insecurity for many. 

The economy is unpredictable and when things take a turn, job security becomes increasingly important to workers. Luckily, there are recession-proof jobs that can withstand these economic downturns, providing stability and financial security for folks fearing potential layoffs. 

While no job is fully immune to the impacts of a recession, some career fields have proven to be more resilient due to their nature, adaptability, and constant demand. These five recession-proof jobs not only provide a buffer against the uncertainties of economic instability, but also promising opportunities for career growth:

Becoming a paralegal is a great recession-proof job option for anyone interested in a legal career. Founder and CEO of his namesake law firm, David Aylor, told the Magazine of the Association of Legal Administrators that many small to medium-sized law firms are relatively recession-proof, so they don’t feel as much of an impact as other industries.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that employment of paralegals is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is about as fast as the national average for all occupations. Not to mention, there are approximately 38,000 job openings on average for paralegals each year.

Education is a career field often deemed to be full of recession-proof jobs, like teaching. If you don’t have a teaching degree, consider applying for a job as a school administrator. As stated on the FRED blog, student enrollment in schools is mandatory, so there’s expected to be a constant or increasing labor force. Additionally, they reported no noticeable change in college, university, and professional school employment during the 1990-1991, 2001, and 2007-2009 recessions. 

LinkedIn’s Senior Economist, Kory Kantenga, assessed which industries had the least variation in LinkedIn’s hiring rates from January 2015 to July 2022 and drop-offs in payroll employment during recessions in Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs data from as far back as 1940. From that assessment, he concluded that jobs in education remain stable in downturns since changing their budget usually requires some type of social approval.

In 2008, Maurisa Potts left her job as marketing director to launch her own marketing and PR firm – at the height of a recession. What seemed like a bold move at the time has proven to be quite smart in the long run. Fast forward to 2023, Forbes Advisor assessed 60 small business types to determine which of them provided the most and least recession-proof jobs.

The assessment showed that PR firms rank second among the country’s most recession-proof small businesses. It also showed that PR agencies, like Potts’, recorded at least some growth in all categories. These categories included a low startup cost of under $10,000 and a high wage growth.

Accounting is one of many recession-proof jobs in the financial field. Not only do many businesses require financial help in the event of a recession, but there is a serious accountant shortage in the United States. The Wall Street Journal reported the number of postings for U.S. accounting and auditing jobs equated to roughly 177,880 jobs in 2022. This total was up from 141,340 in 2021 and the highest since at least 2008, according to Revelio Labs Inc.

In May of 2022, the median annual wage for accountants was $78,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not to mention, employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2022 to 2032 – a promising statistic for recession-proof job seekers.

Typically, dental hygienists need an Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene, which takes approximately three years to complete. However, many dental offices allow those going through a program to work as Dental Assistants while completing courses. But, careers in healthcare have long proven to be recession-proof jobs and that’s especially true in the case of dental hygienists.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dental hygienist employment is projected to grow 7 percent from 2022 to 2032 – faster than the average for all occupations. The Journal of Dental Hygiene shared data collected in 2021 that indicated one-quarter of dental offices had recently hired or were actively recruiting dental hygienists. More than three-quarters of these dentists reported it was extremely or very challenging to fill vacant dental hygienist positions.