Top Five Job Categories

#1 Medical and Public Health

The biggest demand in government for new employees is in the medical and public health fields, with federal agencies estimating that they need to fill 54,114 positions, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, medical technicians, occupational therapists and industrial hygienists by the end of 2012. As in the past, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the most active employer, projecting that its hiring needs will include 25,205 nurses and 8,525 doctors to staff hospitals throughout the country. The Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also project significant hiring in this category—4,384 and 7,622 positions, respectively.

#2 Security and Protection

The majority of the projected 52,077 new hires in the security and protection category will be for airport screeners, police and correctional officers, and intelligence analysts. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are the key hiring agencies for these occupations.

#3 Compliance and Enforcement

This category includes criminal and general investigators, inspectors, border patrol agents, adjudication officers and immigration enforcement agents. Although more than a third of the surveyed agencies list a need in this category, the Department of Homeland Security projects the greatest need, with 22,685 new hires, while the Department of Justice plans to hire 4,679 people in these types of professions.

#4 Legal

Government agencies have a growing need for attorneys, paralegals, claims examination/assistance officers, contact representatives, and passport and visa examiners. The fiscal 2010-2012 hiring total is estimated to be 23,596 positions—an increase of nearly 14,000 from the previous three-year period. The growth is attributable mainly to a demand for claims examiners at the Department of Veterans Affairs (a hike of 3,427 new hires) and contact representatives in the Department of Treasury/IRS (an estimated increase of more than 2,500). There also is increased demand at the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Department of Justice, and at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

#5 Administration and Program Management

More than two-thirds of the agencies identified administration and program management to be a critical occupational need, with a projected 17,287 new hires expected in this category. This includes management/program analysis, human resources, equal employment opportunity, logistics management, and a variety of support activities.