With recent economic events, more people than ever are worried about job security. Even those who have so called “secure” jobs want to know that their jobs are going to be needed in the future. Its only natural. Most of us want to be able to provide for our families in a consistent fashion.

With stability during recessions in mind then, here are 18 of the safest professions to hold during a recession:

1. Jobs in the Healthcare Industry –

This is always a safe bet, because no matter what happens, the general population will always need doctors, nurses, and other medical staff. Also, during difficult financial times, governments often increase spending on infrastructure initiatives such as health care that continue to pay dividends in the long term.

2. Teaching Jobs – Nothing can replace teachers in the classroom. Children need to be educated regardless of the state of the economy. Suffice to say … teaching is a relatively safe profession.

3. Funeral Industry – There no nice way to say it … people die. So, whether in a recession or not, the funeral industry is a safe, though morbid bet.

4. Energy Industry Jobs – During a recession, people do not stop consuming fuel or electricity. They may cut back slightly, but can never entirely eliminate its use.

5. Entertainment Jobs – People may choose to rent a movie rather than go to a theater, but most find entertainment to be a much needed stress reliever in times when tensions are higher. Find a job in one of these industries, and your income is likely to be more recession-proof.

6. Automotive Repair – Economic downturns means individuals are more likely to spend money to have their cars fixed, than they are to purchase new vehicles. This bodes well for mechanics, and other repair related professions.

7. Federal Government Jobs – Federal jobs are rarely cut, and in fact the expansion of such positions becomes an important fiscal stimulus during recessions.

8. Work in the Military – There are always opportunities in the military, and many of these can help you get a quality education at the same time …. perhaps for some of the others careers mentioned in this post.

9. Public Safety Careers – Police, firefighters and ambulance drivers are ALWAYS needed … often more so during economic downturns.

10. Pharmaceutical Research Jobs – Cures for diseases are always needed, so keep working in your white labs coats without fear.

11. Local Utilities – as people continue using utilities during recessions, support personnel are needed!

12. Economy Food Business – Economy grocery stores and other economy food related jobs often do not suffer during a recession as much as ‘higher end’ food options and industries.

13. Debt Financing – credit cards are frequently used by the masses during economic downturns, so it stands to reason that jobs in the credit card industry will boom while others whither and fade.

14. Credit Counseling – As people a add to their credit cards and amass more debt, more are going to need help managing their debt, or alternatively, declaring bankruptcy.

15. Government Contract Services – During recessions governments will continue to pay contractors to fix roads and schools. In fact, such infrastructure improvements are often at the core of government recession-busting initiatives.

16. Technology Industries – People are now more reliant than ever on technology (imagine being without your computer or cell phone for a day!). In fact, even during recessions many technology companies have extreme difficulty finding qualified individuals.

17. Appliance Repair – In an effort to save money, many individuals will repair appliances before replacing them with new ones. This bodes well for appliance repair people, other than perhaps the “Maytag Man”.

18. Public Office – Politicians who can get elected have reasonable job security, at least in so far as they’ll not lose their jobs due to economic downturns. Of course, recessions typically come about less frequently than re-elections.

The key to finding a recession-proof job is in finding something that people need, regardless of the state of the economy. If you have one of these jobs already, congrats! If not, you may wish to consider retraining for one of these careers today!