Staying at work during the recession. Or get a job. Which work offers the most security? Will it be business services, or would it be better to focus on finance? Or will it be something solid, such as a craft such as baker or butcher? Should you look for it at HBO level, university level, or is MBO the unsuspected winner in terms of job security? Research by GoudenGidsBanen.nl provides answers to these current questions. The recession. Reality affects everyone. But what does research from the job site GoudenGidsBanen.nl show? If you want to continue to do well in the midst of the recession, it is a good idea to take up a ‘real’ profession. This mainly concerns healthcare, crafts or business services. Although it is part of the current government policy to cut the number of civil servants, the government and education are relatively ‘recession-proof’.
Butchers, plumbers and plasterers
GoudenGidsBanen.nl combined the data from a series of labor market surveys with its own findings, which revealed such striking results. Which professions are we talking about specifically? Surprisingly, it is not about work in the finance sector or IT. It turns out that ‘traditional’ professionals in particular are relatively recession-proof. Bakers, butchers, plumbers and plasterers remain in demand, according to figures from deambachtseconomie.nl, an organization that specializes in old and new crafts. It kind of makes sense. Anyone who provides people with luxury generally has a limited and capricious target group. If you provide the daily necessities, your target group is constant. We still continue to eat bread. Either way, get the sink that is leaking repaired.
Take advantage of the recession
Amid all the noise about people suffering from the recession, you wouldn’t be quick to think about it: some professions have benefited to a certain extent from the recession. These are mainly the so-called repair crafts. This includes textile cleaners, watchmakers, leather workers, tailors and shoemakers. During a boom we throw away ‘nice'(?) things that no longer work. But if everything has to be done more economically, we would rather have something made instead of resorting to an expensive replacement. As a rule, that is somewhat cheaper. This means that the market for craftsmen is expected to continue to perform well. There is one caveat to this. Competition makes craftsmanship cheaper. In the Netherlands in particular, crafts have been outrageously expensive for years – where else can you see signs from craftsmen on beautiful, spacious buildings in Bloemendaal and Wassenaar? And that is coming to an end thanks to more open borders and strong competition, including from abroad. The key is therefore to price that craft as economically as possible.
250,000 golden opportunities
Minister Kamp put it this way at the end of 2011: The craft economy will need many new people in the coming years, that is 250,000 golden opportunities for people who want to show commitment. Interest in craftsmanship and quality is increasing in the Netherlands. That is an excellent development for professionals with talent, because if you are really good at something or become skilled in something yourself, you automatically become important to everyone.
Renovate, don’t move
We know, the housing market has finally collapsed, after many golden years. This seems to increase the number of renovations under the motto ‘don’t move, but renovate’. A good future is predicted for carpenters, jointers, plasterers, roofers and glaziers – although the question is whether the rates will not fall sharply due to the aforementioned competition.
Where are the expensive guys in finance?
Sociologist Dr. Bram Peper of the social faculty, sociology department of Erasmus University Rotterdam puts his finger on a sore but interesting spot: Namely, the expensive boys of finance and similar branches of previously so lucrative ‘sports’. Peper says: The recession is mainly affecting knowledge workers, especially in the financial sector. However, knowledge workers are the ones who hire artisans and if the crisis continues, hiring will become too expensive. Then the knowledge workers can get to work themselves if necessary. That could result in a special form of repression: a banker with a paintbrush in his hand? In any case, the tenor of all predictions and coffee grounds viewing practices is and remains that MBO-educated people with a vocational education have a relatively secure future.
De Telefoongids BV presents current jobs at MBO and HBO level on GoudenGidsBanen.nl. The use of the site is free for job seekers. For more information, see: www.GoudenGidsBanen.nl