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CNN Live Saturday

Which Industries Will Hire In 2004?

Aired December 27, 2003 - 12:25   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, 2004 is just four days away and many Americans want to start a New Year with a new job. After a period of layoffs earlier this year, the jobless rate has slowed and payrolls are said to be, once again growing. But, which sectors are hiring the most?
Rick Cobb is a workplace trends analyst with Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, and he joins us from Chicago. Good to see you.

RICK COBB, CHALLENGER, GRAY, & CHRISTMAS: Hello.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, just before heading into the holiday season, there were some very gloomy forecasts saying that the job scenario is not going to be encouraging. Now, we're hearing it is encouraging, what's changed?

COBB: Well, what's happening the layoff data we've been tracking seven or eight months, are showing that about February and March, we're going to start to see a reduction in the unemployment numbers, and there's some growth areas that we can start to look at, where there area opportunities

WHITFIELD: What are those growth areas?

COBB: Well, one of the things you got is a graying population. The baby boomers are all now approaching retirement age. They have a lot of disposable income and they also have a lot health needs. So, healthcare in general, is going to be a place where there's going to be tremendous growth in the next few years, certainly nursing, physical therapy, the gerontology areas of expertise. But in general -- the elective healthcare, plastic surgery, those sort of things, those are all going to be a growth area.

WHITFIELD: So, I understand some baby boomers will be placing some demands on these growth areas, you say. But, at the same time, the baby boomers are also, apparently, turning out to be the optimum employer -- employee for many employers. How is that?

COBB: Well, sure. What you've got now are people who have experience, they've been there and done that. And what's happened, as companies become leaner and meaner, they're sort of trying to get to the magic two percent body fat, they need people who have that experience, and what they're finding is that the baby boomers, that 50 to 60 range, have that expertise, you don't have to teach them anything, they already know how to do it.

WHITFIELD: So, does this mean there are certain geographical locations that perhaps, might be experiencing the greatest surges in these jobs?

COBB: Well, if you follow that trend, the baby boomers and the graying population, the flight to the Sunbelt is still part of what's going on, so the Southwest, West, and Southeast are the places that healthcare issue will happen most quickly. Another place where there'll be growth will be anyplace where there's pharmaceutical businesses, so you'll growth in say, New Jersey, which is heavy in pharmaceutical, and the Midwest with there are pharmaceutical companies, as well.

WHITFIELD: So, in January, we can expect that many employers are still feeling quite charitable and this might be a good time to start looking for a job.

COBB: It's critical being in the market, right now. Because, they're making considerations about what their going to do for '04, and so while they may not hire until later in that first quarter, they're certainly starting to evaluate what their needs are and look for people to fulfill those either on a temporary or contract basis or in a permanent position.

WHITFIELD: Rick Cobb, thanks for joining us from Chicago, from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

COBB: Thanks for having me.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 27, 2003 - 12:25   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, 2004 is just four days away and many Americans want to start a New Year with a new job. After a period of layoffs earlier this year, the jobless rate has slowed and payrolls are said to be, once again growing. But, which sectors are hiring the most?
Rick Cobb is a workplace trends analyst with Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, and he joins us from Chicago. Good to see you.

RICK COBB, CHALLENGER, GRAY, & CHRISTMAS: Hello.

WHITFIELD: All right, well, just before heading into the holiday season, there were some very gloomy forecasts saying that the job scenario is not going to be encouraging. Now, we're hearing it is encouraging, what's changed?

COBB: Well, what's happening the layoff data we've been tracking seven or eight months, are showing that about February and March, we're going to start to see a reduction in the unemployment numbers, and there's some growth areas that we can start to look at, where there area opportunities

WHITFIELD: What are those growth areas?

COBB: Well, one of the things you got is a graying population. The baby boomers are all now approaching retirement age. They have a lot of disposable income and they also have a lot health needs. So, healthcare in general, is going to be a place where there's going to be tremendous growth in the next few years, certainly nursing, physical therapy, the gerontology areas of expertise. But in general -- the elective healthcare, plastic surgery, those sort of things, those are all going to be a growth area.

WHITFIELD: So, I understand some baby boomers will be placing some demands on these growth areas, you say. But, at the same time, the baby boomers are also, apparently, turning out to be the optimum employer -- employee for many employers. How is that?

COBB: Well, sure. What you've got now are people who have experience, they've been there and done that. And what's happened, as companies become leaner and meaner, they're sort of trying to get to the magic two percent body fat, they need people who have that experience, and what they're finding is that the baby boomers, that 50 to 60 range, have that expertise, you don't have to teach them anything, they already know how to do it.

WHITFIELD: So, does this mean there are certain geographical locations that perhaps, might be experiencing the greatest surges in these jobs?

COBB: Well, if you follow that trend, the baby boomers and the graying population, the flight to the Sunbelt is still part of what's going on, so the Southwest, West, and Southeast are the places that healthcare issue will happen most quickly. Another place where there'll be growth will be anyplace where there's pharmaceutical businesses, so you'll growth in say, New Jersey, which is heavy in pharmaceutical, and the Midwest with there are pharmaceutical companies, as well.

WHITFIELD: So, in January, we can expect that many employers are still feeling quite charitable and this might be a good time to start looking for a job.

COBB: It's critical being in the market, right now. Because, they're making considerations about what their going to do for '04, and so while they may not hire until later in that first quarter, they're certainly starting to evaluate what their needs are and look for people to fulfill those either on a temporary or contract basis or in a permanent position.

WHITFIELD: Rick Cobb, thanks for joining us from Chicago, from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

COBB: Thanks for having me.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com