Markets with the best post-recession job growth and occupations that are making a comeback

If the economic meltdown of 2008 and the following years of rebuilding the economy were made into a movie, it’d be tediously slow, and you’d just skip it and ask a friend how it ends. Spoiler alert: it’s starting to become clear how this movie ends, and you’ll definitely want to hear about it.

CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists have a new study tracking labor trends in the U.S.  The study uses EMSI’s rich labor market database, which pulls from over 90 national and state employment resources and includes detailed information on employees and self-employed workers.*

“Job creation in the U.S. is on an upward trajectory,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder.  “While growth has been slower or stagnant in certain areas, there is a wide range of industries where the production of new jobs has accelerated.  Markets tied to energy, production, technology, health care, transportation and consulting have increased employment 10 to 30 percent over the last few years.”

Check out this list of specific industries where job growth has increased by double digits with an addition of at least 20,000 jobs from 2010 to 2012:

• Internet publishing, broadcasting and web search portals – 28,333 jobs added since 2010, signifying 30 percent growth
• Drilling oil and gas wells – 21,970 jobs added, up 29 percent
• Electronic shopping – 25,327 jobs added, up 23 percent
• Crude petroleum and natural gas extraction – 32,715 jobs added, up 21 percent
• Temporary help services – 438,116 jobs added, up 21 percent
• Machine shops – 44,754 jobs added, up 18 percent
• Marketing consulting services – 27,113 jobs added, up 13 percent
• Computer systems design services – 88,740 jobs added, up 12 percent
• Specialized freight (except used goods) Trucking, Local – 22,936 jobs added, up 11 percent
• Home health care services – 116,360 jobs added, up 10 percent

Top 10 locations with the most job growth
Where are these incredible comebacks happening?  “There is a close correlation between the top locations for job growth and the concentration of fast-growing industries in those markets,” said Ferguson.  “Technology hiring is a big contributor for growth in the Bay Area and Raleigh and while Texas cities, Oklahoma and Salt Lake are benefiting from strong oil and gas activity.  The rebound in manufacturing helped to land Detroit in the top ten while healthcare continues to thrive in Phoenix.”

The ten Metropolitan Statistical Areas, out of the most populous metros, with the most job growth from 2010 to 2012 are:

1. San Jose, Calif. (includes Sunnyvale and Santa Clara) – 63,290 jobs added since 2010, signifying 7 percent growth
2. Houston, Texas (includes Sugar Land and Baytown) – 165,969 jobs added, up 6 percent
3. Austin, Texas (includes Round Rock and San Marcos) – 49,131 jobs added, up 6 percent
4. Detroit, Mich. (includes Warren and Livonia) – 92,407 jobs added, up 5 percent
5. Salt Lake City, Utah – 34,137 jobs added, up 5 percent
6. Oklahoma City, Okla. – 28,992 jobs added, up 5 percent
7. Raleigh, N.C. (includes Cary) – 24,725 jobs added, up 5 percent
8. Dallas, Texas (includes Forth Worth and Arlington) – 128,644 jobs added, up 4 percent
9. San Francisco, Calif. (includes Oakland and Fremont) – 84,014 jobs added, up 4 percent
10. Phoenix, Ariz. (includes Mesa and Glendale) – 81,606 jobs added, up 4 percent

Re-emerging jobs
Jobs that were lost during the recession are making a comeback of their own, especially in states where production occupations were cut. A major return seen for jobs is computer-controlled machine tool operators, an occupation with more workers now than in 2007. Other production jobs, like machinists, engine assemblers and other production jobs are following in recovery, getting close to pre-recession employment levels.

• Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders – jobs declined 16 percent from 2007 to 2009, and then increased 16 percent from 2010 to 2012.
• Computer-controlled machine tool operators, metal and plastic – jobs declined 13 percent from 2007 to 2009, and then increased 14 percent from 2010 to 2012.
• Pourers and casters, metal – jobs declined 23 percent from 2007 to 2009, and then increased 13 percent from 2010 to 2012.
• Engine and other machine assemblers – jobs declined 16 percent from 2007 to 2009, and then increased 13 percent from 2010 to 2012.

*EMSI data is collected from more than 90 federal and state sources, such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, and state labor departments.  EMSI removes suppressions often found in publicly available data and includes proprietors, creating a complete picture of the workforce.