First, some electrician jobs are tied to housing, but industrial work like controls etc. are not.

Second, what ever field you go into be the best. I was in the top 5 in my field (analog electronics, writing, and presenting) so I made a lucrative living. Adequate engineers with old technology get left behind.

The H1B crowd of immigrants has always been a salary depressant, but that is only for the first few years. After that the immigrants go home or get hungry becoming less salary competitive.

 

First, some electrician jobs are tied to housing, but industrial work like controls etc. are not.

They are still highly cyclical with economic ups and downs.

 

They are still highly cyclical with economic ups and downs.

Are there any jobs that are not cyclical with the ups and downs of the economic situation?

 

Are there any jobs that are not cyclical with the ups and downs of the economic situation?

Yes. Ones that are not tied directly to building and/or expanding commercial and private property would be a good start.

Businesses NEVER invest capital that is not absolutely essential in a recession because they are fighting so hard to save money.

I couldn't count the number of commercial properties standing open in silicon valley for the last five years, and quite a few properties under construction that were abandoned halfway finished and left to rot.

The problem with electricians (commercial or residential) is they are viewed as interchangeable. To be layoff resistant get a job where you learn skills that are application specific to the companies products and they will be less likely to dump you. Wiring is wiring.

 

Got my AAS in ET, was hired as an electrical apprentice. My expierence is that at least in power generation, A person with electrical is valuable, a person with electronics is better because control and interface circuitry is frequently involved in troubleshooting. The senior electricians and I have been exchanging knowledge, and I am honored to be asked conceptual questions about DAC and flywheel diodes etc. It seems to be a link to the engineering department and some of the solutions they come up with to electrical problems.

They in turn have taught me about power generation, Power transformers, corona effects, protective relay schemes etc. Man ,have I learned a lot!