SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Locals seeking a career change may find the opportunity with several "recession-resistant" jobs in San Diego, as the region grapples with high unemployment amid the coronavirus pandemic.
San Diego-Imperial Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research has identified 64 occupations ranging from entry-level to positions requiring a degree and include nursing, teaching, engineering, and technology industries among others.
"I think people are going to want to also recession-proof their lives after having potentially been displaced from an industry," said Dr. Sunita Cooke, President of MiraCosta.
Here's a look at the jobs, typical education needed, and earnings:
Some big takeaways from the date show that biotech and biomanufacturing students see a 47% increase in their earnings post-graduation, and 75% of students in these programs attain the living wage immediately, according to MiraCosta College.
Nursing students see an even larger increase, with a 157% increase in their earnings post-graduation, and 86% of students in this program have a living wage immediately, the college added.
Some MiraCosta programs can also be cost-efficient for those looking to spend a little on a new career. The cost of the machining program is about $6,500 with a median entry salary of about $49,332. For an electronics assembly technician, a program runs about $1,800 with the median entry salary of $42,485.
According to SANDAG, the region's unemployment rate is estimated to be 15.9%, which is about 1.8% lower than the previous week and 9.1% lower than this time last month.
The region's unemployment is still 50% higher than it was at the peak of the Great Recession in 2009 when it hit 10.8%.
Cooke said summer enrollment is up 17 percent at MiraCosta. The community college is currently operating with online-only instruction. Cooke said MiraCosta is likely to adopt a hybrid model in the fall, with some instruction on-campus and other online.
