Recession-proof jobs that will survive coronavirus
Jobs that will survive coronavirus and beyond

In the space of mere weeks, the global economy has been transformed and millions of workers have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet it has also highlighted the long-term security of other professions. Click or scroll through as we look at the recession-proof jobs that will survive the current crisis.
Doctor

Doctors are more in demand now than ever. In the UK, retired doctors have been called back to work for the National Health Service (NHS) and final-year medical students have finished their degrees early to help fight coronavirus. Meanwhile Italy, the worst-affected country, has rushed 10,000 student doctors into service, scrapping their final exams. Yet it’s far from being a safe job, with 3,000 doctors being infected in Wuhan and 14% of Spain’s confirmed coronavirus cases being medical professionals.
Teacher

One of the world’s oldest jobs, dating back to the Roman and Ancient Greek eras, teaching is likely to stand the test of time. It requires creativity – when lesson planning, for instance – dexterity, and the ability to manage complex relationships with people, which keep it safe from the threat of automation. As many nations have gone into lockdown, teachers are having to adapt to providing online lessons and support to pupils, and some are still having to go into schools, such as in the UK, where children of vital workers are still attending school.
Scientist

Across the world, scientists are scrambling to find a vaccine for coronavirus, with the first human trial for a vaccine announced on 17 March by Kaiser Permanente research facility in Seattle, Washington. Yet beyond the pandemic, scientists’ jobs are likely to remain in demand. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are likely to play a bigger role, yet scientists will always be needed to work out solutions to the problems of the future and to decide which areas research should develop.
Psychiatrist

Although in-person appointments may have been replaced by video or phone appointments, demand for psychiatrists remains high. As well as paid workers, in some countries volunteers have signed up to provide support to medical workers. In the UK, 1,000 volunteer therapists are giving mental health advice to strained NHS staff via telephone, while in the US, New York governor Andrew Cuomo has called on psychologists and therapists to offer their help in the state.
University professor

School may be out at the moment in many countries but university teachers and professors are still working hard to provide students with course material. The increased of AI might cause some to assume professors’ jobs will be at risk one day, with AI chatbots being used on UK university campuses and AI tutors being tested in Belgian schools. However, lecturing and tutoring involve a high degree of creativity, the ability to think on the spot and to discuss complex ideas, all of which are difficult to automate.
Occupational therapist

This health and social care-based role involves helping people to overcome barriers, such as physical or mental health problems, in order to complete day-to-day tasks more effectively. The demand for occupational therapists is growing, with an expected increase of 27% between 2017 and 2024 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Why? An ageing population is a key contributor to the increased demand, as is the realisation that the practice helps to reduce hospital readmission rates.
Surgeon

Surgeons, like many other healthcare roles, are urgently in demand at the moment. In the UK, all routine operations have been cancelled for three months to free up beds for coronavirus patients, while routine operations have also been cancelled in Italy and Spain. It’s a job that’s likely to remain during the current pandemic and beyond – in fact, during a recession, increased rates of stress tend to have a negative impact on general public health and there's increased demand for health workers.
Social worker

IT worker

IT workers in general, including computer systems analysts, network administrators and database analysts tend to be safe in times of recession as networks, databases and websites still need constant maintenance. Moreover, they’re well-placed to work remotely, which is an advantage during the current pandemic.
Find out about the jobs that no longer exist
Supermarket worker

Delivery driver

Warehouse worker

Senior care provider

Firefighter

Police officer

Public utility worker

Refuse collector

Similarly, garbage collectors and waste treatment workers are unlikely to see much of an impact on their jobs during the pandemic or the ensuing recession. However, these workers may be at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. According to UK and Ireland trade union Unite, there have been “numerous reports of workers being expected to travel with three or four other workers in the cab of refuse wagons, which is clearly in contravention of social distancing rules. There is also a major problem with a lack of gloves, hand sanitizer, deep cleaning of wagons and other issues”.
Pharmacist

Paramedic

Serving on the medical frontline, paramedics across the world are seeing an unprecedented rise in calls as many people are having to be hospitalised for COVID-19. Yet according to one UK paramedic, writing for newspaper Metro, not all calls are genuine emergencies – some are “exaggerating their symptoms on the phone to fraudulently gain ambulance attendance”.
Nurse

Public transit worker

Veterinarian

Logistician

Accountant

Auditor

Academic advisor

In LinkedIn’s recent analysis of the most in-demand jobs in America at the moment, the role of academic advisor came in ninth place. With many students’ schooling arrangements changing drastically due to lockdown measures, academic advisors can help students to set and achieve their goals, explore career options and support their development.
Take a look at the new jobs the AI and robot revolution is creating
Tech workers

With much of the world in lockdown many tech companies are experiencing a boom time as people use their plaftorms to communicate for both work and pleasure. Microsoft currently has more than 4,000 open positions listed on its website, some of which are for its communications platform Microsoft Teams, while Zoom and Slack are also hiring right now.
Cleaner

Corporate lawyer

Companies are facing unprecedented challenges in recent times, with ending contracts or seeking advice about deals which are under threat. As a result, lawyers have reported a 25% increase in calls and client queries following the outbreak. The profession has stood the test of time and is widely considered recession-proof.
Take a look at the world's oldest jobs that are still around today
Comments
Be the first to comment
Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature