The most recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the country is starting to add more high-paying jobs. Out of the 223,000 positions the nation created during the month of April, many of them were in the professional and business services, construction and health care sectors.
Business, construction and health care expand
According to USA Today, the uptick in jobs with larger salaries is indicative of a strong national economic recovery. Not only are more sectors adding jobs, but more industries are looking to take on full-time employees that are inevitably being paid more. Within the business service industry, some of the jobs that were created in large quantities included computer systems design, architectural and engineering services, and management and technical consulting, all of which traditionally offer competitive salaries.
The construction sector saw an expansion of 45,000 positions, the biggest increase the industry has seen in over a year. USA Today noted that although this is largely considered a blue-collar industry, workers in the field are currently making an average of $27.28 per hour, which is over $2.40 more than the national average. In the past year, construction payrolls have gone up by 4.6 percent, increasing at over double the rate of national salaries. Although the construction sector was hit hard during the recession, Ken Simonson, chief economist of trade group Associated General Contractors, told the source he believes the industry will add over 300,000 positions by the end of the year.
With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act making health care accessible for more Americans, the demand for medical workers has increased exponentially as well. The industry has added 226,000 positions over the past six months, and it looks like this progress will likely continue.
‘Sharing economy’ provides more opportunities for high salaries
While these traditionally lucrative industries are rapidly expanding, innovative and up-and-coming sectors, fueled largely by mobile technology, are providing people with more high-paying job opportunities. The Wall Street Journal reported that the “sharing economy,” made mostly of startups, is becoming a prominent way for people to contract a number of services. The source pointed to the ride sharing app Uber, personal assistant company TaskRabbit and housekeeping organization Handy as some of the front-runners in this employment trend. People simply sign up to work for these companies and take work requests as they come, making it easier for people to make money without adhering to a traditional 9-to-5 work schedule.
The source explained that these companies, which operate exclusively in the form of mobile apps and websites, eliminate the “middle man” aspect of classic maid or driver services, allowing workers to rake in more cash. Many of the employees of the sharing economy are stay-at-home parents, students and entrepreneurs, who are now able to support themselves largely on their own terms. In addition to the people directly offering services, the Wall Street Journal noted that the popularity of these organizations has caused them to expand internally, creating many positions for marketing, distribution and development professionals.