72 Recession-Proof Industries

Of the 1,012 industries tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 72 grew faster than the available workforce during the recessions of 1990 and 2001, and in 2007. These 72 industries are the most likely to be recession-proof in the future.

The table below shows the 12-month growth for each industry, plus the next-higher levels of their industry structure to put them in context.

Industry 1990 2001 2007 Natural resources and mining Construction Specialty trade contractors Building finishing contractors 1 Other residential trade contractors 4% 4% 7% Manufacturing Durable goods Machinery Turbine and power transmission equipment 2 Turbine and turbine generator set units 6% 12% 2% Nondurable goods Food manufacturing Animal slaughtering and processing 3 Poultry processing 2% 2% 2% Chemicals Pharmaceuticals and medicines 4 Miscellaneous medicinal and biological products 7% 2% 5% Wholesale trade Durable goods Commercial equipment 5 Medical equipment 7% 4% 6% Retail trade Miscellaneous store retailers Other miscellaneous store retailers 6 Pet and pet supplies stores 3% 3% 8% Transportation and warehousing Transit and ground passenger transportation 7 School and employee bus transportation 5% 4% 4% 8 Other ground passenger transportation 12% 5% 4% Support activities for transportation Support activities for road transportation 9 Motor vehicle towing 6% 2% 4% Utilities 10 Water, sewage and other systems 4% 2% 8% Information Financial activities Finance and insurance Credit intermediation and related activities Nondepository credit intermediation 11 Consumer lending 3% 8% 9% Activities related to credit intermediation 12 Financial transaction processing and clearing 2% 6% 8% Other financial investment activities 13 Portfolio management 6% 2% 5% 14 Investment advice 4% 11% 11% Insurance carriers and related activities Insurance carriers Direct life and health insurance carriers 15 Direct health and medical insurance carriers 7% 2% 3% Real estate and rental and leasing Real estate Lessors of real estate 16 Miniwarehouse and self-storage unit operators 4% 11% 3% Professional and business services Professional and technical services Accounting and bookkeeping services 17 Tax preparation services 40% 8% 39% Management and technical consulting services 18 Process and logistics consulting services 3% 3% 4% 19 Environmental consulting services 9% 5%