Figuratively Speaking: Survey: Environmental services to lead job growth

Ranks of environmental services/clean technology, health care, life sciences/pharmaceuticals and energy on the list of industries recruiters expect will generate the greatest growth in executive-level job opportunities in 2009, according to a survey of executive search firms conducted by ExecuNet: 1, 2, 3, 4

Ranks of business development, sales, operations management and finance on the list of functions expected to be in greatest demand in the next year: 1, 2, 3, 4

The importance of education

Percentage of Americans who know someone at their current or past workplace who has been passed over for a job because they didn't have the right degree, according to a study by eLearners.com: 19

Percentage of respondents who say they themselves have been denied a job at some point for not having a degree: 10

Money and minds

On average, amount by which the annual salary of workers with a bachelor's degree exceeds the salary of those with a high school diploma, according to figures announced by the U.S. Census Bureau that outline 2008 educational trends and achievement levels: $26,000

Average salary earned by workers with a high school diploma: $31,286

Average salary earned by workers with a bachelor's degree: $57,181

Focus on jobs

When asked whether America should "stick with more traditional jobs in manufacturing and other long-standing industries" or "focus on high-tech and jobs in the service industry," percentage of respondents who opted for manufacturing and traditional industries, according to a Zogby poll: 28

Percentage who said they should focus on high-tech and service jobs: 50

More than just a paycheck

Although the economic downturn has proven tough for workers, percentage of those still employed who say they're gaining more from the experience than just managing to keep their jobs, and cite at least one positive effect the recession has had for them, according to a survey by Accountemps: 77

Percentage who cite the ability to tackle new projects: 53

Percentage who have assumed additional responsibility: 52

Percentage who have taken on more challenging work: 52

Pressured professions

Ranks of surgeon, senior corporate executive, physician (general practice), psychiatrist and attorney on the list of the most demanding white-collar jobs, taking into account stress level, work hours and physical demands, according to research by CareerCast.com: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of firefighter, police officer, roustabout, sailor and construction foreman on the list of the most demanding blue-collar jobs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Motivating factors

For those employed workers who will not be job hunting in 2009, percentage who said that happiness at their current position is their No. 1 motivation to stay put, according to a poll commissioned by SnagAJob.com: 65

Of those who plan on looking for a new job, percentage who said their greatest motivation is fear of layoffs: 19

Among salaried workers who plan to be on the hunt, percentage who said they are most motivated by layoffs: 30

Minority viewpoints at work

Percentage of corporate executives who believe that having minorities in senior executive positions is particularly important to providing new ideas and innovation and to better reflect the diversity of customers, according to a survey commissioned by The Executive Leadership Council and conducted by Harris Interactive: 75

Percentage of executives who attribute the serious challenges faced by black women in their climb up the corporate ladder to weaker, less strategic networks available to them: 31

Percentage that attribute the challenges to inaccurate perceptions of black women's capabilities in climbing the corporate ladder: 24

On the hunt

Percentage of job-seeking executives who said they would be comfortable setting their sights on new employment opportunities even while on their current employers' payrolls, according to a survey by Accountemps: 75

Staff development

Ranks of instructor-led workshops (83 percent), on-the-job training (82 percent) and continuing education courses (80 percent) as the most common professional development methods offered by employers, according to poll released by the Society for Human Resource Management in conjunction with WSJ.com/Careers: 1, 2, 3

Executive satisfaction

Percentage of employed executives with an average annual salary of $206,000 who are satisfied or very satisfied with their current job - up from 61 percent in 2008 and 53 percent in 2007 - according to a survey by ExecuNet: 70

Average percentage of sales, engineering and IT executives who are most likely to be happy at work: 61

Average percentage of marketing, human resources and consulting executives who are most likely to be happy at work: 75[[In-content Ad]]John MacIntyre is a Nova Scotia-based author and former city magazine editor. His "Figuratively Speaking" column, launched in 1989, is published in more than 40 newspapers and magazines.